Saving Me
by The Konfessionist
Summary: Bryan Wilks is all grown up, living the life as a young adult in Rivet City when thoughts of the LW began to plague his mind. Bryan soon realizes that he never properly thanked her for saving his town, saving his home, and- ultimately- saving him. ***DISCONTINUED***
1. Trouble, Trouble, Trouble

**A/N: Hey all! My fourth one-shot, YAAAAY! :D**

**Well, this one is revolved around the all grownup Bryan Wilks- a man of 18 years, so as you can see this story takes place ten years after the events of the Lone Wanderer saving him, taking care of the fire ants, and bringing him to his Aunt Vera in Rivet City. This short story is two chapters, unless you readers find it interesting and ask me to continue beyond these two chapters!**

**_Summary: Bryan Wilks is all grown up, living the life as a young 18 year old adult in Rivet City- hanging out with friends C.J. and James, while helping around the Weatherly Hotel and trying to enlist into the boat's security program under Commander Harkness. But then, thoughts of her begin to plague his mind again- thoughts of _the Lone Wanderer-_ and he realizes that he never properly thanked her for saving his town, saving his home, and - ultimately- saving him._**

**So I hope you guys enjoy this short story! Don't forget to drop a few reviews (just to tell me how good you thought it was, or if you'd like to leave some constructive criticism), and don't forget to tell me if you'd like a continuation past the two chapters I plan on posting for this :D If you ask for a continuation, rating and genre will most DEFINTELY change!**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

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><p><strong>Chapter One: The Troubles Weighing Heavily On My Soul<strong>

Bryan ran as fast as he could through the narrow metal hallways, stumbling in the dim, dark red light as he smashed into a wall and stumbled back, rubbing his sore head.

"_God damnit…_" He seethed through clenched teeth, shaking his head to clear his vision and looked back.

_Where's James and C.J.?..._

And as if on cue, the two young adults stumbled in after him, leaning into the doorframe and panting heavily with sweat dripping down their brows.

"Bry- Bryan you _prick_ I could _**kill**__ you!_" James exclaimed angrily, sending an extremely wrathful glare his way.

"I didn't say you had to follow me in here," He replied with an arrogant grin, walking back towards the two. "Move out of the way, we gotta lock 'em out."

James and C.J. quickly jumped out of the way as Bryan shut the door with an irritable screech of agony, closing it tightly and twisting the valve on it so it locked.

"That should do it," He murmured, wiping his forehead dry from the perspiration that beaded from the effort, and looked back at his friends.

"_Harkness is gonna __**kill us**__ for wandering around the broken bow of the shiiiiiip,_" C.J. called in a singsong voice, tucking her dark bangs out of her big eyes.

"That's if the Mirelurks don't off us first," James snorted with a roll of his eyes.

The young woman simply giggled, hugging his arm and she didn't seem to notice the dark blush that illuminated his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

Bryan watched them while holding his sides in laughter- looking back on it now, he couldn't _believe_ that ten years of friendship had passed already. He came to Rivet City as an eight year old, rescued from the horrors of being alone after losing his father and was sent to live with his Aunt Vera who ran the Weatherly Hotel. He was eighteen now, a man who was old enough to know better but still too young to care. He was tall, thanks to his father, and his once lanky stature turned into one of lean muscle over the years, broadening his chest, biceps and abs, and squaring off his shoulders. His choppy light brown hair was a few inches short of his shoulders (he wasn't fond of haircuts, and Rivet City's only barber, Butch, was kind of a douche), so he frequently tied it back. He had wide blue eyes and a perfect nose with a slight upwards tilt at the end, _"Just like your mother,"_ Aunt Vera would say with a sad smile and a teary gleam in her eyes.

He looked onto his friends- C.J. was poking at the tickle spot on James' sides and causing him to hiccup with stifled laughter.

C.J.'s hair had gone past her shoulders, it was a bit darker than when they were kids but it was still just as unruly. She had a perky nose, and she just couldn't seem to lose her baby fat as it rounded out her face slightly, and kept her "womanly" figure a little chubby, but not too chubby to be seen as unattractive or not cute. She was still shy, and frequently fumbled over her words (as she had done when they were kids), but she was a lot more headstrong now. She wouldn't let James get away with a lot of the shit he tried to pull on the ship now, like fighting with Bannon or pulling childish pranks on the officers- that sort of thing. She changed emotionally, but Bryan noticed that there was not much change physically (despite some of the normal things a young adult would go through).

Now _James_ on the other hand- he hadn't changed much in the personality department. His mouth was as dirty as a garbage barge, always swearing like a sailor, and he wasn't afraid to lip off to people- he wasn't afraid to tell them where to _stuff it._ He'd sometimes pickpocket the new arrivals, and had gotten better at lying and stealing, but C.J. managed to keep him under a manageable line. Physically? James had straight dark hair that hung around his thin face carelessly, and he was just as tall as Bryan, grazing a little less than six-foot straight and his build was almost identical to Bryan's. His shoulders had squared off, but his chest and biceps weren't as muscled. James had a broad jaw, though, and C.J. teased him sometimes and said it was because he talked a lot, and the reason why he had chicken legs was because he didn't "walk the walk".

Obviously, James didn't like that comment, and he told C.J. where to stuff it. She no sooner threw a hissy-fit and punched him in the face, causing him to see stars and wheel about in a daze. She gave him a shiner, and he never told her off again.

"Speaking of Harkness," Bryan finally spoke, causing the two to stop their tickle fight. "We should get back- before he knows that we're down here."

The two looked at each other, eyes darting back to him and they nodded in agreement. Harkness was _way_ scarier than a Mirelurk Hunter- they knew, they encountered one only moments ago. It was why they were running.

But when the locked door groaned, the three adults froze where they stood and slowly turned on their heels to stare at it.

"Heh," James chuckled nervously. "Mu- Must be the wind…" He murmured.

"In a _ship?_" C.J. commented dubiously.

"Ye- Yeah…" He swallowed hard, looking at her. "Like a screen door on a battleship?"

"Like a screen door on a _submarine_ you dork!" She exclaimed with a broad grin and a roll of her eyes.

"Just be thankful that Mirelurks dunno how to unlock doors," Bryan sighed with relief, looking back at his friends.

Then a steady screech resounded behind him, and he watched as the horrified faces of James and C.J. turned as white as the froth of the waves splashing the rocky debris of the shore, and they clung to each other in fear. He slowly turned around, coming face to face with a Mirelurk Hunter.

"Ru- _Run!_" He cried, bolting past them. "Run like your _fucking_ life depends on it!"

"_**It does!**_" James and C.J. cried as they sprinted after him with the Mirelurk struggling to scuttle with chase after them.

Bryan suddenly went to a place that he hadn't visited in a long time- the day he was chased out of his once humble town of Grayditch by a small horde of fire ants that began burning up the place, and threatened to turn him into a roasted kiddie-meal. That was when he came upon her- _his savior-_ out front of the Super Duper Mart killing a small group of raiders single-handedly. Only when the last body dropped did he come out from his hiding spot behind a small cluster of burned out cars and begged for her help. He was surprised by her reaction- instead of ignoring his ramblings, writing him off as crazy and turning him away to do something better, she listened quietly; nodding with a contemplative look in her eyes. She tapped her chin as he spoke, and once he was done did she begin asking questions. After he gave all the information she wanted, she crouched down and directed him to jump onto her back- she was going to _carry_ him back to Grayditch where she could take care of the problem.

He was so stunned and relieved that he hugged her right then and there, quivering and crying and all she did was hug him back, brushing his hair with her fingers and soothing him with kind words- telling him that it was alright to cry, and promised that she wasn't going to tell anyone.

Once returning to Grayditch, he hid in the safety of the radiation shelter out front of the ravaged diner as she disappeared into the town, looking for clues. He didn't know how long he was in there for, packed in tighter than a T.V. dinner, but she came back at nightfall with a somber look in her eyes. She didn't need to tell him anything- he knew his dad was gone, but what surprised him more was when she explained the reason why it took her so long to return to him with the news. She gave his father a proper burial, headstone and all. She then took him home, fed him, tucked him into bed and read him a story.

The last thing he remembered before he drifted off to sleep was the sound of her voice, as soft and lush as silk as she whispered to him that she was going to stop whatever caused him all this trouble and pain, and she kissed him on the forehead. When he woke up the next morning, she was sitting at his bedside with a giant smile on her face. She said that she had stopped the fire ants, and that they wouldn't bother him ever again.

She said she stumbled upon Doctor Lesko, but mentioned nothing more of the matter- like where or _when _she saw the egghead.

Bryan than begged her to find him a place to stay, as he was terrified of being alone and unprotected. He hoped she would offer him to come and stay with her, he felt so _safe_ with her, but instead she asked him where she could start looking. He pointed her in the direction of Rivet City to look for his Aunt Vera and she left the next morning, returning exactly two weeks later with great news. He was still sad that he couldn't stay with his rescuer, but he supposed living with his aunt was best- the woman who helped him had a life of her own, of course.

But… She never came back after that day- the day she had brought him straight to Vera. He'd wait on the bridge with Harkness some days, watching the stillness of the bridge in the wind and the occasional traveler that wandered through, looking for some place to trade or spend the night, but he never saw her face again. After a few weeks, he stopped coming to sit with Harkness and wait for her. After a few months, he stopped hoping she'd come back. After a few years, he just assumed that she had died out there in the Wastes, along with Three Dog's broadcasts of her as the famed Lone wanderer.

Even though she had entered his life and left just as quickly as she came, he would never forget the _goddess _who saved him- and yes, she looked like a goddess, he wasn't making it up. Her name was a little fuzzy, but he could remember what she looked like quite clearly. She had an untamable mane of curls that looked like they were spun from gold, her eyes looked like they had captivated the luminosity of magnificent full moons, and her skin radiated a thousand suns. She had plump lips, and her cheekbones were pronounced, giving her a sophisticated look. She was _beautiful._

Bryan was brought back to reality by James stumbling in front of him and falling to his knees, causing him to trip and the two boys were sent into a tangled tumble after C.J. She skidded to a halt, looking back with fearful eyes as the Mirelurk Hunter was gaining on them with the two boys desperately trying to untangle themselves.

"C.J.!" James exclaimed, causing her attention to dart to him. "Get out of here! We'll be fine- go get help!"

"_No!_" She exclaimed, running back to help the two up and immediately freezing when she saw the Hunter coming closer and closer. But before it could get close enough, it slammed into the doorframe behind them due to the fact that it was too large to fit through.

The three looked back and forth at one another in astonishment once Bryan and James got up from the floor. Knowing better than to just stand there, they darted off towards the exit, which was also the only entrance that was even worth mentioning. It would be difficult to make a quick escape, as their exit was underwater, and C.J. couldn't hold her breath as long as the boys could.

Before the trio could celebrate the fact that they were no longer being chased by a Hunter, _another_ _one _came out of nowhere and began chasing them!

"Guys, what do we do?" C.J. cried fearfully, her wide eyes brimming with tears that streaked down the sides of her face. "What if they catch us?"

James shook his head, panting heavily as he ran and glanced to Bryan. C.J. did as well.

"Y- You expect _me_ to come up with something?" He exclaimed with shock.

"You're the leader, Einstein!" James retorted, throwing his hands up in the air exasperatedly as he hurdled over some garbage lying in the middle of the floor. "Fucking figure something out!"

_Wait a minute..._ Bryan thought as he halted to look back at the debris pile James jumped over. Several pipes jutted out from the bottom, and he quickly rushed over to inspect them. He found at least five that were about a foot long, and he handed the best looking ones to his friends, keeping whatever was left for himself in case they needed more later.

It wouldn't do a ton of good against Mirelurk Hunters, even the best hunters equipped with the best weaponry still had trouble taking the overgrown crabs down, but truth be told it made Bryan feel a little better knowing that he had _at __**least **_something to use to defend himself.

"Here- it's not much, but it's something." He explained as they continued running, coming through another doorway at the end of the tunnel and they stopped to turn back and close the door, spinning the valve tightly shut.

"Shit load of good this is gonna fucking do us," James huffed as he shoved against the door one final time, making sure it was secure and looked back to his friends. "Considering _last time._ I thought Mirelurks didn't know how to open doors!"

Bryan and C.J. shrugged in unison, all three walking to the railing that overlooked the drowned corner of the bow- the part that was broken off from the rest of the ship. The kids hopped over the railing and dove into the water, waiting for their bodies to get used to the freezing temperatures before stroking in swooping gestures towards the exit. Bryan waited where the exit was, looking back at his friends to make sure they were able to go out first- no one could be in front of C.J., in case she needed to come up for air quickly.

"I want you to take a _deep_ breath for me, okay C.J.?" James asked in a hushed tone, and it was an interesting voice that was only reserved for her, and no one else- Bryan suspected it was because he's had a crush on her since they were kids, but it seemed like she didn't know at all. James was good at lying, remember? It was easy enough to make it look like he was just being friendly because they had known each other for so long; never letting on that it was something _more_ than that.

She nodded, brushing back her bangs which matted to her forehead and sucked in a breath as deeply as her lungs could handle without bursting. Her head disappeared under the surface of the water immediately, and with one last glance to Bryan, he ducked under the water as well.

But just as he was about to follow suit, the door slammed open to reveal a Mirelurk along with a Mirelurk Hunter making their way to the water.

"Shit!" Bryan exclaimed with wide eyes, taking in a quick gasp of air before diving under the water and kicking away from them towards the exit. He squeezed through the door on the other side, stroking to the surface where he took in greedy lungful after lungful of air and watched on as his friends began to swim to shore.

"James!" He cried, bobbing with the waves and the young man stopped to look back at him. He waved him over. "The 'Lurks got through, you gotta help me close up the door or they're gonna get out and chase us all the way to Rivet City!"

James groaned with irritation, rolling his eyes and quickly swam back after quickly telling C.J. to continue on to shore without him. He was back to Bryan in mere moments, and in a few minutes, they returned to the underwater entrance of the broken bow. Bryan swatted his floating hair out of his eyes so he could see better, and with all his strength, pushed against the door. The water around them numbed down the screeching as it closed. James joined in as well, digging his heels into the skeleton of a hallway that once encased the door and pushed against it with his back pressed to the door.

The two gasped in surprise, clamping their mouths shut just as quickly when they spotted bubbling jewels of oxygen escaping, as a blue claw darted out from the mouth of the doorway, between the frame and the door, and began snapping at them. It only urged the two boys to push into the door harder.

With a muffled shriek of agony, the water turned clouded and murky with the green-grey fluids of the Mirelurk as its arm was snapped off from its body, due to the door closing on it. The two immediately kicked back to the surface, and once their faces hit air they panted for breath, blinking out the water from their eyes and shaking out their soggy hair. They looked back at one another with broad smiles of triumph on their faces.

"We- We made it?" James asked dubiously. "_We're alive?_"

"Seems like it." Bryan nodded, allowing himself a chuckle and a sigh of relief that the ordeal was over.

"_Hey!_" C.J. called from the shore, waving at the boys wildly with one arm while the other was wrapped around her torso, her chattering teeth giving away the fact that she was probably quite cold. "Over here! Did you guys do it?"

The dismembered claw of the Mirelurk bobbed to the surface in front of the two boys like a lone fishing lure, and with the ends of his thin lips curling into mischief, James picked it up and took aim at C.J.

"Don't you even _think _about it_,_" Bryan warned, staring at his friend seriously.

"Too late!" James laughed as he whipped the claw at C.J. "_See for yourself, C.J.!_" He called once the limb took to the air.

C.J. squealed out in terror, taking to running around in circles in hopes of avoiding the flying body part to only be hit in the back by it and hitched forward, landing in the dirt with a slight yelp of surprise mixed with pain.

James only laughed as he began kicking his way to shore, and with a gentle sigh and a roll of his eyes, Bryan followed after him.

"_Look what you did!_" C.J. cried angrily, sitting up on the ground to motion to the dirt that clung to the front of her outfit- a simple shirt and cargo pants-, and it looked like it was slowly being turned into mud because of her wet clothes.

"Oh, stop acting like such a girl!" He taunted, outstretching a hand to offer helping her up from the ground.

She wrinkled her nose at him, swatting his hand away with irritation as she got up and patted herself down while grumbling under her breath. She stomped off, still grumbling to herself, and James looked back to Bryan, crossing his eyes and sticking his tongue out of his mouth, swirling his fingers in circles on the left side of his temple- indicating that C.J. was crazy and being overdramatic.

Bryan simply smacked him on the arm as a warning and walked after C.J. James shrugged, shoving his clammy hands into his soaked pockets, and leisurely followed after his friends.


	2. If I Ever See Your Face Again

**A/N: So! Here is the second chapter for my short story, Saving Me. I hope you guys like it so far, if some of you are watching over it or something xD Remember, review with constructive criticism and feedback if you'd like this to continue! If not, then the story ends here!**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: If I Ever See Your Face Again<strong>

With three pairs of sore feet, several complains out of James, a few smacks upside his head from C.J. to shut him up and about a half hour of walking did the trio finally come across the metal structure that worked as the entrance for Rivet City. Lucky Harith, the weapons supplier for Flak N' Shrapnel's, eyed the three curiously and they waved him off, asking that he _not_ ask about why they were soaking wet and why C.J. was muddy all on her front side.

They staggered up the metal slope, greeted the water-beggar that resided out front, and stalked across the bridge with heavy limbs and aching joints from all the exercise they endured that late morning. The load of their exhaustion lightened with hope and relief when they looked on to the entrance of Rivet City, and immediately noticed that none of the security guards were standing out and watching- not even _Harkness,_ and damn, was it a miracle sent from the heavens!

"Looks like we get a fucking break today!" James exclaimed victoriously, darting past Bryan who had been leading up until this point and stood by the door that lead to the stairwell with his hands on his hips proudly. "Hurry the hell up, you're _both_ slower than my ma when she has to go to her "good parenting" meetings with Father Clifford!"

"Y- You- You're lucky she is- isn't 'round to hear th- th- that," C.J. chuckled through clacking teeth, still hugging herself tightly and she glanced up to Bryan. "I- I'm _freezing _Br- Bry- Bryan!"

"It's okay," He smiled back warmly. "We'll be inside soon enough."

"Are you so sure about that, Wilks?" An authoritive voice chastised as a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder like a vice grip.

Bryan slowly pivoted his head towards James as if to confirm who it was, but James wasn't looking at him. He was staring down at a hand gripping his own shoulder with a scowl on his face. Their eyes finally met and they gulped audibly, slowly craning their necks to look back into the angered face of Harkness.

If returning to Rivet City without Harkness guarding their front door step to reprimand them about their field trip was considered a God-given miracle, to _only_ have the strict man appear seconds later- Well... God had a strange sense of humor.

"Did you three enjoy your little excursion?" He asked in a low voice as two security guards came up behind him, shaking their heads in disappointment.

James grinned from ear to ear arrogantly. "Best field trip I've ever _fucking_ had."

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Harkness retorted.

"Only after I wash it out with soap." He shot back snidely.

"Watch it kid," He warned, pointing at him sharply. "You're old enough where I can kick you off this ship."

James opened his mouth, probably to tell the commander off, but with a quick glance at C.J., he closed his mouth and shoved his hands into his pockets with surrender. Harkness smiled at the shift in power that was turning into his favor, and his eyes darted over to Bryan as he removed his hands from both of their shoulders.

"How are you going to work your way into the force if you keep breaking all the damn rules, Wilks?" He asked sternly with a slight tinge of disappointment in his voice and a frown on his face.

Bryan looked away, ducking his head ashamedly. Ever since he turned twelve, he had been trying to convince Harkness to let him join security. The commander denied him time and time again, due to the fact that he was still too young, but said he'd consider it when he was older. He hadn't meant to be such a nuisance- he just wanted to explore and have a bit of fun with his friends…

"I- I'm sorry, Harkness." He answered quietly. "We didn't mean to break the rules."

James shot him a threatening look, but the words seemed to soothe Harkness a bit and he waved the officers behind him to disband. They disappeared to the staircase in a few moments.

"Do you kids know why we _make_ rules?" He asked, his tone softening to that of parental scolding as he turned the boys around so they were facing him. C.J. squeezed herself in between them.

"So you can be an asshole about them?" James asked, and C.J. smacked the back of his head as soon as the words left his mouth.

"_**No.**_" The commander growled, folding his arms over his chest. "It's to keep you kids safe. Or maybe it's because I don't like punks like you, Hargrave- you're a bad influence for C.J. here, always have been, and when her parents hear about this…"

"_What?_" She exclaimed in horror, eyes snapping wide open. She knew what would happen- her parents would tell her to stop hanging out with the boys, and would try to enforce that as much as they damn-well pleased. "Pl- Please don't tell my parents! We were just having fun, _please!_"

"I'm sorry C.J., even though this isn't a rule that comes attached to a harsh punishment, leaving the ship and wondering into the bow is _extremely_ dangerous with all the Mirelurks that have nested down there! I'm glad you kids are unharmed, but you all need to understand that there will still be consequences to your careless actions."

"Then why don't you kick us off the ship already if we're such a _huge_ fucking problem for you and your boy scouts?" James retorted, fists curling at his sides.

"_James!_" C.J. exclaimed with wide eyes of shock, gawking up at him.

"Maybe I _should_." Harkness growled with dark consideration in his voice. "Don't tempt me, Hargrave."

"What's this I hear about kicking people off the ship?" A silken voice called behind the trio, followed by a low chuckle. "That seems a bit harsh for a bit of good fun, don't you think, Harkness?"

The three spun around to find a woman standing behind them with her hands on her hips and a plasma rifle strapped to her back. Her mane of hair was wild with curls from spun gold, her eyes were as wide and bright as full moons, and her skin had a slight bronze tint, as if she had captured the radiance from a thousand suns. Her plump lips, brushed a light pink were tugged at the corners with a slight smile, and she had high cheekbones that made her look so sophisticated.

"After all, you can't tell me that you didn't get into trouble a few times when you were their age," She chuckled again, shaking her head as she walked past the kids to stand next to Harkness, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Bryan caught the astonished look on the commander's face, eyes blinking rapidly as if his mind couldn't quite comprehend what was going on and his jaw opened and closed like a confused guppy, unsure of what to say. He was doing the _exact_ same thing as the commander at that moment, because he recognized the woman's face and voice immediately- neither seemed to change since they first met ten years ago.

"It- It's _you!_..." He stammered in disbelief, catching the attention of the woman- _his savior-_ and the still stunned Harkness.

And then, Bryan remembered her name just as clearly as he had remembered her face all those years, searching for it through the numerous crowds of people that came into Rivet City as he waited at Harkness' side for her to return again.

"_Janny…_"


	3. Small Talk :: DAY 1

**A/N: ALRIGHT! So this is how it's going to work ;3 See right below where the name of the chapter is underlined? It says _Day One?_ THIS IS A TIMELINE, PEOPLE! It is going to act as a sort of timer during Janny's stay in Rivet City, as she is staying for two weeks. I thought it'd be something fun to throw in, just 'cause I suck at dates and stuff so this is going to help me keep all my ducks lined up.**

**As you can see, yes, I'm continuing this story! Just 'cause I love you guys so much xD It's not exactly popular yet, so I'm on the fence trying to decide whether or not I should update every Tuesday or every second Tuesday... Review if you can't wait two weeks for another chapter! Oh, and let me know if you like how this story is starting out, and if you like Janny's character! Thanks a bunch!**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Small Talk<strong>

_**Day One**_

Bryan watched Janny as she spoke with Aunt Vera about a hotel room, and his heart almost jumped in his chest when he found out that she would be staying for _two weeks._ Two weeks! Ten years of being supposedly missing, she suddenly appears and is staying for two weeks- it made his head spin with all the questions he wanted to ask her! Another jolt of excitement ignited in his belly and shivered up his spine like a strike of lightning at the thought.

For one thing, she didn't seem to be as bubbly or as charismatic as he had remembered... She seemed a bit more reserved, she spoke so intelligently (which made him feel a little self-conscious about his own knowledge, which wasn't much, as he knew), and she seemed to have a dark and formidable glint in her eyes. He recognized it right away; he had the same glint in his eyes when he looked in the cracked glass of his mirror after he had lost his father to the fire ants. He still had it sometimes- when it was really dark and cloudy and dense outside… He'd slip into a miserable world that he didn't enjoy at all, as it made him feel all gummy inside.

He couldn't help but wonder if something happened, something _bad,_ and it had prohibited her from coming to visit him.

_Or maybe she didn't care enough to return at all…_ He thought solemnly. The lightning strike of excitement that went up his spine shot back down into his stomach like a heavy and inevitable pit.

Then, Janny's laughter broke into his cloudy mind like a ray of sunshine, causing him to come back to what was happening.

"I never knew a mole rat could do that!" Aunt Vera exclaimed, laughing as well and motioned for him to come over. "Bryan, you remember Janny, don't you?"

_How could I forget?_ He thought to himself quizzically, but instead nodded without saying a word. Janny looked to him with a thoughtful expression in her face as they formally shook hands. It felt awkward- shouldn't they have… _hugged,_ or something?

_No- that would have been even __**weirder…**_He told himself.

"Good!" Aunt Vera smiled. "She can stay in Seagrave's old room," She sighed, a little gloomily. "Bless his soul…"

"Is Seagrave no longer with us?" Janny asked quietly, turning to her.

She shook her head, her short blonde hair bobbing about her face. "I'm afraid so! He died a year or two after Bryan arrived- he was hiding the fact that he had red-lung from us! Can you _believe_ that?"

Bryan rolled his eyes inwardly- he loved his aunt, she took him in unconditionally when his father died and made sure he was always happy, but her need to gossip was a little overwhelming at times, and she sometimes forgot to respect the dead.

"Oh, don't worry!" Aunt Vera exclaimed with a broad smile upon noticing that Janny's face had slightly contorted into one of concern. "He didn't die in that room, if that's what you're worried about!"

"Miss Weatherly, I've slept in bloody beds and shared floors with rotting skeletons." She pointed out indifferently, fishing out some caps from her bag. "If you are implying that Seagrave may still be hanging around his old room, I'm not worried in the slightest. I simply did not know what red-lung is, and it caught my curiosity."

"O- Oh…" Her face had paled significantly upon "bloody beds" and "rotting skeletons", and she swallowed hard. "The- The prices haven't changed, since you were last here… 120 for one night."

Janny smiled slightly, handing over the caps and Aunt Vera in turn handed over the key to her room.

"Here you go! I suppose you'd like to rest up now," She giggled, nodding to Bryan. "Bryan can take your bags for you, and he'll show you to your room!"

She glanced over to Bryan, who had been fidgeting and shivering behind her while staring at his feet shyly. He had changed out of his damp clothes the moment Harkness let them all go to escort James to his mother down in the Muddy Rudder, and he waited in the lobby once he was done because Aunt Vera asked him to stay there. He changed out of his beige shirt and baggy brown pants for a grey shirt that was formfitting and had long sleeves that went over his hands, and pants made of thick black material. His favorite combat boots with the steel toes adorned his feet, and he shifted uncomfortably in them. Even though he changed into dry garments, he was still trying to thaw out from the swim he took.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Wilks?" Janny asked softly, and the formal title caused his head to snap up to meet her eyes.

_Mr. Wilks?..._ He wondered with a startled blink. No one had called him that before, it felt strange. Some people used to call his father that, though- as he remembered.

"You don't have to call him so formally, Janny!" Aunt Vera laughed. "The situation doesn't call for it!"

"I'm certain the situation _does_ call for it, Miss Weatherly," She nodded with a smile as she slid her bag off her shoulders. "If I'm correct, Bryan is a grown man now, is he not?" She looked up at him (due to being a few inches shorter than his six-foot straight), and handed him her bag. "He certainly looks like one."

Bryan ducked his head away from her as a modest blush came to his cheeks, and he took her bag by its strap with a nervous hand. From the corner of his eyes through his bangs, he could see her still smiling.

"I suppose you're right," Aunt Vera sighed unhappily, folding her arms over her chest. "I can't believe it's been ten years since you were last here, bringing little Bryan to me… He's grown so much since then!"

Janny looked up at him, face lighting up as her smile broadened for the first time since she walked into Rivet City.

"I see that. He's filled out quite nicely, I must say." She turned back to her. "I gave you payment for a few days in advance- but do not be afraid to let me know if I have miscounted or if there is something wrong."

"Don't worry about it, you're a valued customer and guest at the Weatherly Hotel! Now get some rest, the restaurant is going to open in a few hours for dinner."

"I wished to go to Gary's Galley for a visit," She replied. "But I promise to come see you for lunch sometime this week."

"Enjoy your stay at the Weatherly Hotel!" Aunt Vera called after them as Janny left the hotel lobby, waving to Bryan encouragingly as he skittered out with her backpack after her.

"Bryan, would you mind leading the way to Seagrave's room? I don't quite remember which way it is…" Janny murmured, glancing up and down the hallways with an intimidated look in her eyes.

"Su- Sure…" He stuttered unevenly, brushing past her down the hall that went straight forward. "It's this way."

Janny followed him without saying a word, not even so when they arrived at the room and she unlocked the door, stepping inside and motioning for him to come in as well.

"Don't be shy," She urged with a warm smile. "You can place my pack anywhere. I'll make myself at home soon, anyways- I'm going to be here for a few weeks, after all."

"I know." He replied, setting her bag down at the nearby metal desk. They refurbished the room after Seagrave died- they got a new desk, a new wardrobe with double doors and a safe pressed to the back for valuables, a nice big bed made for two people, and an oval mirror nailed to the wall at the doors side. There was also a small trunk at the foot of the bed, just in case whoever used the room needed more space to place their belongings.

"Well then…" Janny began awkwardly for the first time since she arrived, peeling off her black leather long coat from her sweat-glistened skin and tossed it onto the desk top. "How have you been, Mr. Wilks?"

He still wasn't all that comfortable with the formal name, but he decided not to complain. "Things have been good. Vera's taken good care of me over the years."

"I certainly hope so," She nodded, glancing back at him over her shoulder as she bent over and pulled out a combat knife from her boot hem. "But I see that you're telling the truth- it looks like a few good meals have done you good."

Bryan blushed slightly, looking away. "Th- Thank you… Aunt Vera tried her best."

"I was glad that I was able to find her all those years ago," Janny admitted, gently placing the combat knife on the desk and began working at the pistol holsters she had strapped to her thighs.

"Why?" He asked, his voice peaking with curiosity.

"I was worried that I'd have to resort to… _Other_ choices." She replied, and he noted that she did so a little hesitantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He tensed slightly, not at all trying to sound rude, but noticed that his voice came off as rude anyways.

"I was afraid that I would have to escort you to Little Lamplight, so you wouldn't be alone and so, at the time, you could be with children your own age… I was afraid because I've seen what happens when a child turns sixteen in that community."

He tilted his head to the side, not quite understanding what she meant. He had heard of Little Lamplight before, sure, he knew it was like an underground city run by kids, but other than that he knew nothing.

"One of the rules the Little Lamplighters firmly abide by is that when their citizens turn sixteen, they are forced to leave to go to Big Town. Big Town is usually targeted by Super Mutants and Slavers or raiders. I couldn't let _any_ of that happen to you…" She explained smoothly. "I had seen it all myself. I escorted a young boy by the name of Sticky in my earlier years, and I had walked into a _warzone_. Super Mutants came from a nearby Old World police station called Germantown HQ, and they were trying to… _collect_ more captives."

"Did you save the town?" Bryan asked, stepping towards her slightly with interest.

She nodded, brushing past him to go to her bag and pulled out some fresh clothes.

"I did indeed. I rescued two captives that were taken during the fight, and upon returning, I rewired some robots- a Protectron and a Securitron- they had in their scrap yard to continue protecting the town."

_A Protectron and Securitron?_ Bryan thought with wide eyes of bewilderment. The Protectron was alright, but a Securitron could protect a couple of towns on its own. It had a Gatling laser and a missile launcher! If that was the case, then why did she still feel unsure of taking him to Little Lamplight to eventually wind up in Big Town?... It sounded safe enough, right?

"The showers are still in the same place, correct?" Janny asked once she collected all her clean clothes from her bag and zipped it shut, standing up to look back at him. He finally noticed that the neckline of her off-white tank top was damp with sweat, and her ripped jean shorts and lean legs were smeared with blood. She must have gotten into a tussle with something on the way in to Rivet City.

"Yeah, you'll need a clean towel from the hotel, though." He answered with a nod of his head. "We kept them in the bathrooms for a little while, but someone was stealing them for some reason…"

She giggled, smiling brightly at him. "Did you ever find out who?"

"No." He shook his head. "But we keep them in the hotel now- you're gonna hafta get them from Aunt Vera before you head down there."

"Of course, thank you Mr. Wilks."

"N- No problem…" _Again_ with the Mr. Wilks…

The two walked out of the room and she locked her door. As they turned left to return to the hotel, they bathed themselves in silence, not speaking a word. Once they entered the lobby, Bryan plopped down behind the desk, working at the terminal and typing up Janny's name into the guest log as she requested a towel from Aunt Vera. She got what she asked for in a few moments, bade a pleasant thank you and a goodbye and turned to the desk to speak to him once again.

"Is there a time that you get off work?" Janny asked, and the question caught him by utter surprise.

"Wha- What?" He stammered, brows furrowing together in confusion.

She chuckled. "What time does your shift end?" She simplified.

"O- Oh… 'Round eight, after the dinner rush. Why?"

"I was hoping we could spend some of my time visiting Rivet City catching up… I'm honestly quite curious about your new life here." She tilted her head to the side, brushing her curls out of her eyes. "Would we be able to talk over dinner, down at Gary's Galley?"

Bryan's heart began to pound against his ribcage like a sledgehammer, begging to be let free from its skeletal confines. His squared shoulders tensed in nervousness, along with every other muscle in his body, and he cleared his throat, eyes darting away from her.

_She only wants to catch up on old times. _He scolded himself. _**That's. All.**_

"Would that be too uncomfortable for you, Bryan?" She asked in a silken tone, face twisting into slight concern.

"N- No! No!" He stammered, eyes darting away again in embarrassment as his nose and cheeks broke out in a bright red blush- he felt like he had answered that question a _little _too quickly. "Di- Dinner's fine!"

"Excellent." She smiled, letting go an airy breath of relief. "So does eight o' clock work for you?"

"Can we meet up at 8:30?" He asked quietly, finally daring to look back up at her. "I need to help Aunt Vera with the dishes and stuff, it takes me a while to clean up the place after dinner."

She nodded. "I have all the time in the world. 8:30 it is, then."

With a friendly wave and another goodbye, Janny left with a clean towel and clean clothes in her possession, and Bryan noticed three things.

One- she _finally_ called him by his name instead of Mr. Wilks. He didn't know if it was intentional, or if it slipped on accident, but he liked hearing her say it. It reminded him of back when he was eight years old, and she was reading him a goodnight story…

Two- small talk with her only raised even _more_ questions that he wanted to ask when they got together later that night.

And three- he had _never _been so excited for dinner in his life.


	4. I Need You :: DAY 1

**A/N: HEY EVERYOOOOONE! Alright, so lemme explain why I'm posting this chapter early...**

**I was looking at all the "traffic stats" for my stories, and found that my story "Another War For Your Textbooks" has_ been viewed 10,000 TIMES!_**

**I was SO stunned to find that so many people have read that story that I wanted to do a "thank you" for all my readers by posting chapters for all my ongoing stories as a sort of celebration! Lucky you, guys ;3!**

**So I hope you guys enjoy the newest chapter of Bryan and Janny's adventure!**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: I Need You<strong>

_**Day One**_

Janny had appeared in the doorway of the Weatherly Hotel a little before 8:30, hair combed and pulled back into a tight pony tail, looking clean and fresh in her new clothes- a long tank top and tight olive green pants with black boots. She sat down at the bench near the door with her legs crossed, bouncing her heel slightly to keep her entertainment as she waited for Bryan. She glanced up, watching as Harkness came in grumbling to himself.

"There you are," He spoke in a soft tone as if he were relieved, finally catching her in the corner and walked over.

"Ah, Harkness!" She smiled up at him kindly. He shifted nervously in front of her, as if something were deeply bothering him. "Were you looking for me?"

"I was." He nodded. "Can we talk?"

She glanced down to the time on her Pip-Boy and nodded. "I suppose I have a few moments..." She looked back up at him. "What is it that you require?"

"I saw the plasma rifle you had strapped to your back when you came in." He spoke with his arms folding over his chest. "It looked like it's in pretty good condition."

"Of course, I've taken attentive care in it. It was a gift from you, after all." She smiled. "If you would like to take a look at it, I'd be more than happy to retrieve it for you from my roo-"

"_**He's**__ returned._" Harkness interrupted her suddenly and breathed unevenly, looking around to make sure no one was around before leaning in closer. "Zimmer's back on the ship with a new bodyguard- apparently you killing Armitage wasn't enough to keep him away."

Well… That explained what had been deeply bothering him.

"_What?_" Her eyes widened in shock. "Are you positive?"

"He's taken over Madison's old Science Lab, he says he's using it for "scientific endeavors" but I know that he's trying to resurrect a HQ here to continue looking for me."

"Why haven't you taken care of him? I was told that he was a security threat!" Janny exclaimed in horror. "Ten years or not, he should be as much a threat now as he was then!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Harkness hissed, intense blue eyes darting up to her. "The council is refusing my request to kick him off this rusted tub... After Madison left to help your father with Project Purity, my council seat was bumped down because someone else rose up in the ranks- my word doesn't matter as much as Bannon's does now. He's denying that Zimmer is a threat to our city, no matter _how_ much evidence I give him otherwise."

"Well, I don't expect you to give the _true _reason that ignorant man should be removed from Rivet City… I don't think people would sit right with an android on their ship." She rubbed her chin with thought, glancing up to him. "Someone took Madison's place on the council, you say?"

He nodded with a certain mixture of frustration and sadness swelling in his eyes.

"_Who?_"

"His name's Rogue- appropriate name if you ask me. He's a petty criminal, a smooth-talker, and he has everyone believing that he can turn this ship around."

"And Zimmer's new bodyguard?"

"Cadence. Tall, _big _boy, black skin with a scar from his collar bone to his jaw. The guy is hard to miss, he never leaves Zimmer's side."

"Unless he is an android, like Armitage proved to be." She frowned slightly. "How could this have happened? I gave Zimmer your component, he shouldn't have returned!"

"Apparently, someone gave him information about me." He began to frown as well. "Someone told him that I was still on the ship- that he was _so close_ to finding me and that I was still alive and kicking, so he returned from the Commonwealth with a new grunt to continue searching."

"He just won't _quit..._" Janny snarled, squeezing the bridge of her nose in irritation and sighed. "You said someone gave him information. Who else knows that you are an-" Her voice dropped in volume, eyes darting around to make sure no one was listening. "Who else knows that you're an android?"

"Well… Anyone who received a holotape from the Railroad, asking for help for me. It was supposed to keep people from finding me…"

She shot him an inquisitive arch of her brow as a thin smirk tugged on her lips.

"And how did _that_ work out when _anyone_ could just pluck up one of those holotapes?"

"Obviously, not so well …" He sighed and gave her a wary look from the corners of his lidded eyes.

"All joking aside, could anyone else know?"

"The receivers of course, Railroad- they helped me come into contact with Pinkerton, but they wouldn't out me if they were striving to help me in the first place… Of course, Pinkerton knows my before _and_ after identity-" Harkness' eyes narrowed in realization as something clicked in his mind. "_You don't think-?..._"

"If you're suspecting who I _think _you're suspecting- Horace Pinkerton is a selfish man that would sell his own _mother_ if it would mean getting his hands on a piece of advanced technology. He was vulgar and brute when I found him, so he's hardly someone I'd ever find myself finding the pleasure of conversing with again!" She groaned. "All those years ago, he did whatever he could to get his hands on you, did he not? What if he's in league with Pinkerton to take another look at you? He _did _say that you are one of the most advanced pieces of technology known to the average Wastelander."

"I guess you're right," He nodded. "But Pinkerton must be _dead_ by now! It's been ten years since any of us last heard of him, so he should be at least-"

"Seventy years old, I know. But stubborn men like that don't just _keel over_, Harkness. Besides, he's quite safe down in the broken bow, if you may recall." Janny got up from her seat, patting her clothes off from the dust that collected from the bench. "The Mirelurks are his own personal guard dogs, but if anyone gets past them he has traps set out- and due to the fact that _everyon_e believes that he's nothing but a ghost, no one ventures down there to try and rob or even _bother _him."

"No one but those three kids," He grimaced. "It's getting harder and harder to keep them out of trouble..."

She snorted. "Kids? Harkness they're _hardly_ children anymore! Mr. Wilks must be at_ least_ eighteen, along with Mr. Hargrave, and I'm aware that Miss Young will be turning nineteen next month."

"What's with all the 'Misters' and 'Misses'?" He asked with a crease between his brows.

"They are of an adult age, so I will treat them as such."

"I'll start treating them like adults when they start _acting_ like adults," He shot back snidely. "So until then, they're still kids in my book."

"Oh don't be so harsh, Harkness!"

"Jan, I'm serious." His eyes narrowed significantly as he folded his arms over his armored chest. "Those kids are going to get hurt down there with all the Mirelurks and the traps Pinkerton set out! They're gonna get a leg blown off, _or worse._ I'm commander of the security squad because it's my _job_ to keep everybody safe- and I intend on doing just that."

"You can't save everyone..." Janny murmured, glancing up at him with solemn eyes, her lips pursed into a hard white line on her face. "I know- I've tried _so _many times in my earlier years. There are hundreds of people you can save, but in the end, if out of those hundreds one dies-…The heartache can just be too much to handle..."

"So, that's just it?" He outstretched a sympathetic hand towards her, palm facing up. "Is that why you never came back to Rivet City? You just _gave up?_"

"I'm still standing, but it only means that I'll be facing the fall one of these days if I haven't already stooped so low." She replied in a hushed voice, staring down at the floor as she tugged on her ponytail nervously. "I never came back until now for my own _personal_ reasons."

"And what reasons would that be?" He asked indifferently.

"They are called _personal_ reasons, for a _reason,_ Harkness." She replied with a forced smile. "But I'm not going anywhere anytime soon- I'll be staying in Rivet City for two weeks. I suppose I have excellent timing, considering your predicament."

"Wa- Wait, _what?_" Harkness' eyes widened considerably. "You're going to do something about Zimmer?"

Janny nodded. "Of course I'm going to do something about this, Harkness! I see everything that I do to the very end! I refuse to let Zimmer attempt to take you away again."

"You're not planning on killing him, _**are**__ you_ Janny?" The edge of his mouth twitched into a smirk.

"Of course not!" She exclaimed sourly.

"_Damn,_" He cursed with a disappointed sigh, looking away to hide his childish grin.

"You're quite violent, aren't you?" She asked with a chuckle.

"When did you notice?" He turned his chin over his shoulder to see Bryan making his way to them from the back room.

"He- Hello Harkness." He greeted with a slight nod politely, glancing to Janny. "Is something wrong?"

"Not at all, Wilks. We were just catching up on old times," He glanced to Janny as well. "I still plan on coming down to check on my old plasma rifle."

"I will certainly hold you to it- my door is always open to an old friend." She smiled, waving goodbye as the commander stalked off and turned back to Bryan as she got up from the bench. "Are you ready to go?"

He nodded.

"Good. And don't you worry about dinner, I'll be paying for it." She announced, motioning to her side as she walked, signaling that he should walk with her.

He quickly scrambled after her. They made their way down the stairs quietly, stewing in awkward silence and not quite sure what to say to one another. Well, Bryan didn't know what to say, but Janny seemed content with the silence other than their feet pattering down on the metal flooring like rain on a rooftop- so he said nothing.

"Bryan," She spoke in a soothing tone, and it immediately caught his attention. His eyes rapidly snapped up to her, meeting with her own bright blue orbs. "I understand that you probably have many questions... If there is anything that you feel that you need to ask for peace of mind, I am an open book- and I will only tell you the truth and what needs to be said."

"I never thought that'd you lie to me in the first place, miss..." Was all he managed to murmur.

"I'm glad you feel that way," She smiled softly. "So is there anything that you would like to ask me?"

"...Why didn't you come back?" He stopped walking, staring at his boot toes, and she stopped as well to stare back at him over her shoulder. "You just dropped me off on Aunt Vera and never came back- you _promised_ that you'd visit!" He immediately regretted sounding like a whiny child.

"I promised that I would visit whenever I _could,_ Bryan." She corrected him impassively.

He winced at her harsh wording, she wasn't exactly all sugary sweets with her words and would tell it to him straight. He somehow knew she would.

"So you-... never could?" He murmured once more.

"Bryan..." She sighed, turning around and clasped one hand on his shoulder while cradling the other under his chin, tilting it to look straight into her face. "It's a bit difficult for me to explain… I wished I could have come to see you as you grew up, but-" She sighed, removing her hand from his chin to hold his other shoulder. "But some things happened that I needed to sort out, and it prohibited me from coming to you. If I could have, I would have dropped _everything_ just to come back and see your smiling face! There were other people out there who _needed_ me to help them."

_You didn't think that I needed you too?_ His mind whirred gloomily, and he immediately blinked at the thought. What was _wrong_ with him? The moment he saw her, he felt like he was eight again!

_It would explain why I'm being such an ass... _He thought again with an inward sigh.

"I'm sorry." Janny whispered, smiling up at him apologetically. "I truly am sorry- and if you do not believe me, I will do whatever I can to show you how sorry I am."

"O- Okay..." Bryan nodded, looking at the steel door that led out to the marketplace floor.

"C'mon, we can talk more over dinner. You must be starving!" She exclaimed in a quiet giggle, walking to the door and opened it with a menacing creak, waiting for him.

Bryan followed with a nod, allowing her to go in first before doing the same. He still had _so __**many**_ questions flying around in his head as quickly as a jet plane, and if he were to try and cover them all over one setting of dinner, he could tell that they'd probably be at Gary's Galley all night long.

Or until security kicked them out... Whichever came first, he supposed.


	5. The Plot Thickens :: DAY 1

**Chapter Five: The Plot Thickens**

_**Day One**_

Angela came to their table to collect their plates and take another order or two of drinks and side dishes, stalking away to her father behind the counter of their little slice of heaven as he began to fire up the stove once more.

Bryan looked on to Janny, the angles of her face caressed by the dim light waning from the lantern set in the center of their table. She played with her fork, tilting it between her fingers in a practiced, fluid motion with her chin cradled in her upturned palm. He almost jumped in his chair when her eyes met with his in a flicker of an instant, and she smiled, and for a second it seemed like the room had brightened significantly.

"Don't be afraid to order whatever you like, Bryan. I have enough money to _buy_ this restaurant!" She chuckled, fixing her ponytail by tugging on its thin elastic band.

"That's reassuring," He smiled a little, sipping from his water glass. "So what got you to come back after ten years?"

She sighed deeply, as if bracing herself to embark in some long story that was just as long as her time away from him.

"Well, things in the Wasteland haven't calmed down... If anything, they got worse with the Aqua Pura caravans making their rounds. Wastelanders and even whole communities try to resurrect crops, but they are either destroyed by Molerats, raiders, or just about anything that's hungry, really. The Enclave is still trying to take over D.C., what with their little outposts dotted around everywhere... Towns still require help, populations that are deemed as threats still need to be controlled, and once in a while grunt work or rescue missions need to be done..." Her voice trailed off with a melancholy hint. Despite all that she listed, it almost sounded like the work was _far _from over.

"If there was so much for you to do, then why did you come here?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Because I needed a vacation," She leaned back into her chair with one arm dangling over the back, the other in her lap with her legs crossed one over the other. "And because you deserved a promised visit that I should have given a very long time ago… I hope it's not too late to make it up to you, after all this time."

Bryan nodded his head, accepting the answer and looked down at the glass in his hands. His thick fingers released his grip on it- he didn't know he was holding it so firmly. He remembered that he was thinking about her as he tried to escape the wrath of the Mirelurks at his friends' sides just this morning, and as if she heard his inner torment, she appeared out of thin air like the goddess he remembered her to be... _Which __**reminded**__ him..._

Just as he opened his mouth to ask another question, Angela scurried over with more food and drinks for them, skillfully balanced on a tray she had; perched on one hand with the help of her shoulder. She carefully set each dish down one by one.

"I actually_ can't _believe that you're back, but you're sitting right here in front of me!" Angela exclaimed happily, before frowning into a slight pout. "You didn't come to my wedding!"

Janny chuckled awkwardly. "I apologize. Other matters had called for my attention."

Angela didn't seem all that pleased by the answer she was given and grabbed her tray, walking away with her head held high and a slightly angry stride.

"You missed their wedding?" Bryan asked, looking back to Janny once Angela had disappeared behind the Galley counter.

She nodded, sweeping her bowl of squirrel stew towards her along with the small package of stale saltine crackers. She broke up the crackers in the package by pounding on it with her fist, opening it to dump it into the stew.

"I believe I already mentioned that I had many things to take care of, I couldn't drop everything and come back here." She dipped her spoon into her stew, mixing the crackers in, and brought it up to her lips to eat.

"You did that for me," He murmured with his arms folding over his chest, eyes looking away to look at something other than her. This wasn't the goddess he remembered, the one that was so guarded and unwilling to talk about herself. He didn't remember _his_ goddess being so- so- selfish? He didn't want to use that word, but somehow, it felt right.

Janny's cool blue eyes trained on his face as her spoon lowered back to her bowl. "That's because you're more important to me. I'm not saying that Angela and Diego's wedding isn't important, it is, but it's important to _them_, not to _me._" She reached across the table, placing her warm hand gently on his arm, and he could feel his heart thump heavily against his chest once- if it had not stopped completely. "_You_ are what`s important to me._ You_ are the main reason I came back, Bryan. More so than a vacation- I came back for _you._"

Bryan swallowed hard, as if finding the words hard to digest and finally looked back at her warily.

"S-So..." He began shakily. "You really couldn't come back all this time?"

She frowned ashamedly and shook her head, thumb beginning to lightly swish back and forth over his arm comfortingly.

"What happened?" He asked.

Janny sighed, pulling back from him finally as if he had thrown a bucket of acid onto her.

"You said you'd be honest!" He cried, pointing at her accusingly. "_You __**said!**_"

"...My father died, Bryan." She looked back at him, her eyes endless abysses of pure inner agony, and a whole mess of other emotions. "Only a little over a _week _after finding him out there, he died from radiation poisoning." Her eyes dodged away from his. "And I- I never got the chance to say good-bye... Or tell him how much I loved him, because it was so- so _sudden.._. It was difficult for me to comprehend at the time, so I-... I threw myself into whatever missions I could find to forget. I still can't forget, but I guess that's what I deserve for even bothering to try to forget such a great man. It's something that you can't just wipe away, but the missions were catching up to me. So I decided to take a much needed break."

He suddenly felt a pit of guilt rolling around in his stomach along with his dinner. He felt _horrible_ for thinking that she was being selfish! She lost her father, just like he did, and she wanted to forget, just like he tried to forget his own... He'd sometimes wake up, even now, at ten years after his father's death, with nightmares of him being pulled apart limb by limb by hungry, enraged fire ants. After gobbling up his dad, the ants chased him into a dark place. He'd wake up in a cold sweat, trembling and shaking with a concerned Aunt Vera in the doorway, asking what was wrong.

She knew of his night terrors, they were quite frequent when he first arrived. He'd sometimes wake up the _entire_ floor with how loud he was screaming!

Bryan looked up at Janny; her forehead was pressed into her palm as she stared into the table, shaking her head slightly with a thin sheet of sweat glistening on her skin. The vision of her only made the pit bigger, and before he knew what he was doing, he reached out to hold her hand on the table. She looked up at him with glistening eyes, confused and unfocused.

"I know how you feel." He nodded, as if to confirm it more for himself than for her. "Believe me, I know all too well... You get nightmares too, don't you?"

She nodded, squeezing her fingers around his slightly. "Ye- Yeah... They're horrifying." She swallowed hard, almost as if her throat was strained.

His eyes darted up past her as he saw movement making its way towards their table and he inwardly groaned, pulling his hand back from Janny's to recoil under the table as casually as he could possibly manage.

"Speaking of _horrifying,_" He muttered as James plopped down next to him with a broad grin on his face. He was chewing on something sticky, and it caused his teeth to make loud popping and smacking noises- as if it were bursting tightly packed air bubbles- like a sheet of bubble wrap he found once.

"_Heeeey_ Bryan," He swooned, hooking an arm around his shoulder playfully. "Whatcha doin', man?"

"I _was_ having a nice dinner," He replied with a slight roll of his eyes and glanced over to Janny with a slight shrug of his shoulders and an apologetic smile. "Sorry..."

She smiled, shaking her head. "It's quite alright."

James looked back at Janny, his grin broadening (if that was even _possible_ with how big his grin was already) as he carefully looked her up and down- almost _undressing_ her with his eyes. It made the muscles in Bryan's fists curl angrily.

"Who's this?" He asked smoothly, unhooking his arm from Bryan's shoulders to lean into the table casually, still smacking on whatever was in his mouth. "You keeping all the hot ones from me, 'ya prick?"

"This is Janny," Bryan replied while doing his best to ignore the jab, trying to relax his rolled fists under the table before he walloped his best friend in that big mouth of his. "She was the woman from earlier."

"Janny... Janny..." He tapped his chin with thought, still grinning at her flirtatiously. "Why does the name sound familiar? Are you from my dreams, baby?"

"My name may sound familiar because we've actually met before," She answered with a knowing smile coming to her lips. "Not _just _from this morning, but from when you were eight."

His eyes widened with shock, and his grin turned into long grimace. "Wait a fucking minute- _that_ Janny? Holy shit!" He exclaimed. "Glad I found out before I laid the moves on you 'er somethin'... That woulda been shitty."

Janny chuckled in a low tone, not at all offended by his remarks. "I see your _charm_ hasn't failed you after all these years, James. I can also see that you seem to be giving Harkness a run for his money."

"You can bet your ass on it! The old man can't keep up with me," He winked arrogantly, kicking back in his chair to prop his dusty booted feet up on the table, crossed at the ankle.

C.J. came stomping over the moment he was in comfortable seating. "James, Bryan! There you two are!" She looked to the woman apologetically. "I'm sorry that my friends are bothering you. They're not that smart..."

"Speak for yourself!" James retorted angrily, chewing on his candy still.

"I was here already, having dinner with Janny." Bryan explained, fists finally coming undone. He knew that with C.J. around, James might tune it down a bit. "C.J., this is the woman from this morning, remember? She's the one that helped James get out of it with Harkness- Janny, this is C.J."

C.J. blinked at him with a strange glint in her eyes, glancing over to Janny awkwardly. "He- Hello... Thanks for getting James out of trouble with Harkness earlier." She gave a tight, half-hearted smile.

Janny nodded with a smile. "It was no problem at all, C.J." She looked back to James. "Eighteen years old and you are _still_ in need of someone to keep you out of trouble. Why am I not surprised?" She shook her head.

"Stay out of it, lady," He hissed. "_No one_ tells me what to do. I do whatever the fuck I like!"

She furrowed her brows together. "You sound_ just_ like Butch..."

"You know Butch?" Bryan asked with slight curiosity.

"I'm not some dead-beat, alcoholic bitch of a _hairdresser!_" James snarled.

"She said you _sounded_ like Butch," C.J. reminded him. "She didn't say you were some stupid hairdresser..."

Janny lightly banged on the table top as she laughed, harder than anyone expected, and they all gawked at her strangely. "Oh my! Is he _still_ a "barber" here?" Her question only made herself laugh harder. Bryan was surprised by her sudden outburst, and scratched at the angle of his jaw.

"You know him?" C.J. asked, for Bryan's sake once more.

She nodded, wiping away the tears as her laughter calmed down. "We grew up in the Vault together. He was given the job of hairdresser while I was appointed as the Vault's physician- so I was put into an apprenticeship program under my father- who was the Vault's doctor at the time- and alongside his assistant, Jonas."

"You came from a _Vault?_" The three exclaimed in dubious unison.

"That's right," She smiled a little fondly and glanced to Bryan. "I'm slightly surprised you didn't know that, Bryan. But, I suppose that back when we first met, we didn't talk much... I'd prefer if you all keep that little tidbit between us four."

"How did you even _meet_ Bryan?" C.J. asked with her arms folding over her chest protectively, narrowed eyes burrowing down on her. He stared up at her with his brows crinkled together. Why was so acting so angry all of a sudden?

"I'm sure that is a topic that I do not have the right to discuss, given the circumstances." She glanced over to Bryan with a warm smile. "That is a question that he will have to answer, and only if he feels like it."

James gave him a questionable look with a tilt of his head while C.J. simply grumped, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently, waiting for him to answer- as if _expecting _that he was going to say anything at all on the matter.

"L- Later, guys..." He stammered, motioning for them to go away politely. "I'm in the middle of catching up with Janny... I'd like to talk to her a little more about some stuff, and-"

"_Fine!_" C.J. suddenly boomed, causing James to cringe and almost fall out of his chair with the sticky stuff he was chewing on falling out of his mouth and plopping on the ground with a tacky noise. She stomped her foot down, hands on her hips still. "_We'll_ go, then!" She began striding away with an angry kick in her step.

"_We?_" James asked in a whiny tone. "But it was just getting good!" He motioned to Janny and Bryan in a swooping gesture, arm still hooked over the back of his chair and his feet propped up on the table.

She came back over and grabbed him by the nape of his shirt collar, strangling him out of his chair mercilessly and dragged him after her in a stagger. They disappeared to the far side of the marketplace, going up the stairs that lead to the entrance of Rivet City and left with the open and close of the shrieking door ringing throughout the slow bustle of the marketplace.

Bryan sighed with relief that they were gone and looked back at Janny, who seemed to have concern riddled all over her beautiful face.

"C.J. seemed a little... _upset._" She noted, looking back at him with her eyebrows crinkled together. "Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine... She gets all weird like that sometimes." He replied with a reassuring smile, but Bryan wasn't all too sure about that statement. C.J. had _never_ acted like that before, and he had no clue why she was starting up now. He just supposed it was a girl thing and decided not to touch on the subject any longer.

"I see." Janny smiled even more, a knowing smile, as if she knew something he didn't. "Are you and C.J... _Dating?_"

"Wha- What?" He could feel his cheeks and the bridge of his nose heat up with a scarlet blush as he gawked at her in surprise. "_No!_"

"Oh." She blinked in surprise as well. "I believed you were due to the way she was acting... Not that I can speak on her behalf, but she was acting similarly to a jealous girlfriend."

His jaw popped with shock. C.J.? Liking _him?_ No way! A snowball's chance of rolling through the fiery pits of hell! Only when Molerats can fly and Mirelurks can sing like silk-tuned sirens at sea! The thought was deniable, and a little worrying, because he knew James had a _huge_ crush on C.J., and _everyone_ knew about it- except for her!

"Forget I mentioned it," She shook her head with the smile still on her lips. "It was probably just my imagination."

Bryan heeded her suggestion and drank from his water glass once again, trying not to waver or ponder the thought of C.J. possibly liking him anymore when more questions popped into his head, overcoming C.J. screaming at him mentally. It tuned the mental yelling down to a dull roar.

"I've been meaning to ask… I want to know more about what you did with those fire ants." He looked up at her, almost pleadingly. "I want to know how you stopped them."

Janny smiled a strange smile and nodded. "Of course. How about we finish our dinner and return to my room, where we can speak in private?" She glanced up to where C.J. and James left a few moments ago. "Unless you can stand a few more interruptions?"

"No," He smiled a little. "I don't think I can."

With that, the two finished eating and Janny paid for both of them, much to Bryan's disapproval. He tried to convince her not to, but she told him to get used to it because she'd be doing it often as long as she was in Rivet City. Not wanting to further argue, or risk upsetting her, he shamefully agreed and they left to return to her room.

But from Potomac Attire across the way remained an extremely tall man with sharp hazel eyes, one of them (or lack thereof) hidden by an eye patch. He had sharp cheekbones framing a slim nose and thin lips pulled into a loose scowl. His dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. He ran his thick fingers from his moustache to drape them down through his full beard, which had a streak of ashen white down the center. He was a tall figure, masculine and built like a true soldier, but his stature was hidden by a long coat of black leather- kept closed with his strong arms crossed over his broad chest.

The man had watched Janny and Bryan pack up and leave with a questionable look in his narrowed eye.

"So… We have a new visitor to Rivet City?" Rogue glanced down at Bannon, being almost a foot taller than the clothing proprietor. "Who is she?"

"Uh- her name's Janny," He replied with a slight stammer. "But her last name escapes me right now... She hasn't been around for ten years, so she's been the talk of the town since she arrived late this morning."

"And the boy?" His good eye narrowed even more so. "What's her interest in the boy?"

"That's Bryan, Bryan Wilks. The reason she was here ten years ago was to drop him off to Vera Weatherly- the woman who runs the Weatherly Hotel." Bannon looked on to the empty stall of the marketplace; it was the stall that Seagrave had owned before he kicked the bucket. "Janny rescued him from Radroaches or Molerats or something. They killed his father, and Vera's his aunt- the only blood family he has left."

"Interesting…" The man commented, still stroking his beard. "Is she here now for him?"

"Probably- I don't quite know." He shrugged. "But _everyone_ is gossiping about it."

"I'm not looking for gossip, Bannon, I'm looking for _answers!_" He boomed, glaring down at him. "I'm looking for the _truth!_"

"We- Well," The clothing shop owner backed away with horrified eyes, holding his arms out as if it would protect him if the man lunged at him. "I don't know the truth, but I _can_ tell you what everyone _else_ is saying. I don't know how much of it is true, but knowing the people on this boat, not much of it will be."

The man sighed hopelessly, squaring his shoulders. "Enlighten me."

"Some say she's returned to visit Bryan after so long to see how he's doing, others say she's on vacation, and _some_ say that she's on the run."

"On the run, hrmn?" This caught his attention, and Bannon nodded. "Do tell."

"Some say from the Talon Company or the Regulators- I'd say Talon is a more plausible choice, she'd kill _herself _before harming an innocent person. Others say she's running from the Brotherhood of Steel or the Enclave, though I can't imagine why either would have any interest in a simple Wastelander as herself. Like I said, a lot of it is probably just Brahmin shit."

"Remember, Bannon- a lie can be born and travel half way around the world before the truth even has a chance to leave the womb." The man walked away with heavy footsteps, almost making the ground quake under him as he stepped.

"Sir?" Bannon asked, not quite sure if he was being dismissed.

"Your task is to dig out the truth, Bannon. I've taken an interest to see why she is here." He replied over his shoulder. "_Figure it out._"

Bannon nodded obediently. "Yes, yes… I'll do as you ask, Rogue."


	6. Peace of Mind :: DAY 1

**A/N: ALRIGHTY THEN! Not much babbling for you guys today, as I'm just gonna skip to the good stuff ;D**

**This chapter contains a pretty long explanation of Janny's adventure in the _Those! _questline. Nothing too deep, just her explaining everything and what Bryan's thoughts are on it, plus some cute stuff at the end. Well, I THINK IT'S CUTE! I dunno if it'll be cute to you guys... Oh well!**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six: Peace of Mind<strong>

_**Day One**_

Bryan sat at Janny's desk, gazing around the room in awe- she wasn't kidding when she said that she'd make herself at home! Many books- some looked old and worn, while others looked quite new- were stacked or sprawled on the desk, her wardrobe was already filled with all her hung clothes and the trunk was open, revealing all the random junk she had with her. He had to assume that the safe had all her important valuables in it already, like weapons or money. All in all, the room had turned cold when Seagrave died, and now it was warm and alive with a new occupant. She had run to the bathroom for a moment, and said that she'd be back soon, so here he sat, waiting for her to return.

The door creaked open as Janny stepped in only a few moments later, clothes and a small washrag hung over her shoulder while her long fingers held a purple toothbrush with a split handle and a few missing or frayed bristles. She had changed her clothes, sporting a baggy black tank top that barely reached her naval, and tight navy blue shorts hugged her broad hips. Her hair was down, returning to its state of being a wild mane that he was so accustomed to.

"You want to know about everything that happened in Grayditch." She stated, pushing the trunk lid down with her foot to toss her clothes onto its top along with the towel and toothbrush, looking back at him. "Is there anything that you want to know specifically?"

He shook his head, unable to peel his eyes off of her. "N- No… I just want to know everything, miss. I want to know anything you can tell me."

She chuckled. "You can call me by my name, you know."

He smiled slightly, leaning forward in his chair.

"I know- and I'll promise to call you by your first name if you _never_ call me "Mr. Wilks" again! It was kinda weird…"

She laughed and nodded. "Deal."

Janny walked towards him, leaning past him to the desk to pick up a hair brush that was missing a few bristles. She sat on the edge of the desk, brushing out her unruly curls as she talked.

"After I left you in the radiation shelter, I went looking for your father. I didn't have to search for long, though- as I had found him in your house…" She swallowed hard, looking down at him. "Are you _sure_ you want to hear this, Bryan?"

He nodded. "I said to tell me everything… Go ahead." He ushered her to continue with a slight flick of his hand.

She sucked in a deep breath before continuing. "He was lying on the floor, near a flaming debris heap. There were a few fire ants lying around, but they were already dead… I barely recognized his body- not even his _face_ from the picture you gave me… It didn't _look_ like a body. Bryan, he had been torn up so much that I- _that's why I buried him..._ I didn't want you seeing him like that. I didn't want anything more haunting your nightmares. I knew it upset you when I told you- I knew you were upset that you weren't able to see him and say goodbye one more time, but… I think you knew. I think you knew that I was only looking out for your best interests, so you didn't say anything else on the matter."

Janny cleared her throat, and he noticed that her eyes began to well up with tears a little as she continued to brush her curls.

"Later that night, after I put you to bed and you told me about the others in Grayditch, I went to the Brandice residence to see if there were any other survivors. I didn't find anyone… Nothing had gotten into their home, so I assumed that they had fled the town to get away from the ants. But I second guessed that when I saw that the house was full of belongings… Anyways, I didn't find anything else there that proved to be useful in my search so I moved on to Doctor Lesko's shack by your home. It was locked, but I managed to break in."

"Is that when you found him?" He asked quietly.

She shook her head. "No, actually. The shack was empty. _Completely_ empty. It looked like he had packed up and left town, but…" She chewed on her lip with thought, putting her brush down in her lap.

"But… _what?_" Bryan asked, turning his chair slightly so he was completely facing her.

"I hacked his terminal, and found a journal entry talking about the Marigold Metro Station on the other edge of the town, by the old playground. There were a few other notes, too, about experiments that he was running on the ants that inhabited Grayditch. He was using Marigold as a controlled environment to run these experiments."

"Wait a minute," He halted her, snapping his head up and stood up from his chair. "Are you telling me that _Dr. Lesko_ was the reason why those ants were in town?" He exclaimed angrily.

"Bryan, please," She gazed up at him with a pleading look, resting a hand on his bicep comfortingly. "Please… Let me finish. You'll learn more about Dr. Lesko in a few moments."

With his lips pursed together in wrath that he'd rather _not_ cage, he plopped back down in his seat and held his head in his hands as Janny continued.

"After that, I left the shack and fought my way to Marigold. I made my way inside, only coming across _more_ of those fire ants, and I- I found another body. I think it was Mr. Brandice, because in his terminal I found an entry stating that he was going to go into Marigold to take care of the ant problem. I had pressed on until I eventually came across Dr. Lesko- I knew I'd find him, but I honestly didn't think that I'd find him _alive._" She smiled slightly. "He practically screamed when I opened the door and he saw me, but I must admit, my reflexes kicked in, and I-…I- _erm…_"

"You- did you _kill _him?" Bryan asked apprehensively.

"No," She finally snorted out a bit of laughter. "I punched him in the nose. It was an accident, of course, but when I dug deeper and deeper into the fire ant problem, I soon came to realize that he deserved it!"

He smiled a little, chuckling as well as the scene played out in his head. He could _actually_ see it happening- a door sliding open, both Janny and Dr. Lesko shrieking in terror before she went and walloped him _right_ in the nose!

"Any who," She sighed, beginning to brush out her hair again. "He told me about everything that happened. Yes, Bryan- he was the reason why the fire ants began attacking your town. He was working on a project, you see. He was trying to figure out how to shrink the ants to the size they were previous to the war, so we would no longer have to worry about them."

"So… Those fire ants weren't always that big?" He asked with furrowed brows.

"Oh, no! They never were! And they never breathed fire, either. The worst they'd do is possibly bite you, and even then it stung for only a moment. You'd live, pretty much unharmed, unless you maybe had some allergic reaction to the bite." She smiled, picking up a thick book she had on the desk behind him, flipping through the pages. "This is an Old World textbook I found. Kids your age and even _younger _went to school and learned about animals and bugs and such- ah! Here it is."

Janny flipped the book around to show him, pointing at a picture that was in the lower corner of the page. It was a picture of a horde of black ants crawling all over a beautiful, bold red and pink flower. The ants' size in comparison to the flower was the same as a Super Mutant in comparison to Rivet City! Either that was a very big flower, or those were very _tiny_ ants!

"_Wow,_" He murmured in complete astonishment as a smile crossed his lips. "That's amazing!"

"Isn't it?" She asked, her own smile deepening. "Would you like to borrow it?"

"Huh?" He blinked up at her. "Borrow it?"

Janny nodded, closing the book up with a hollow thud and handed it to him.

"But I-…" He looked away shamefully. "I don't know how to read… I was never taught how to. Never went to school." He shrugged.

"That's okay Bryan, you can look at the pictures." She opened the book slightly and fingered the pages, flipping through them to show him the slightly faded pictures and worn wording. "There's a lot for you to look at, but, if it bothers you that much, I could teach you how to read."

Bryan nodded with a thankful smile, but it no sooner turned back to a frown when he remembered what they were talking about.

"So if Pre-War ants never breathed fire and were so tiny, what happened to them?"

"Well, the radiation mutated them so they grew in size. The same goes for Brahmin, Molerats, Yao Guai, Mirelurks, anything living you see out here. Even _Super Mutants_." She closed the book once again and held it in her lap. "But unfortunately, when it came to experimenting Dr. Lesko skipped a step or two. He created a supposed "antidote" that would shrink the ants, but because he was so sure that it would work, he injected a _massive_ amount of ant eggs instead of just one or two for testing. When they hatched, the antidote mutated them even further so that the ants were able to breathe fire. They also became aggressive and attacked the town, believing that you were a threat. They were simply defending themselves."

"Then what happened to Dr. Lesko? Is he still in Grayditch, making more fire ants or coming up with another "antidote" that- that makes them even _bigger,_ or makes them spew goo, or something?" He retorted, fists balling on his knees as he leaned forward in his chair again to stare at the floor in disbelief.

"I don't suppose he is." Janny shook her head, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I stopped him, Bryan."

His head shot up so he was looking directly into her eyes. "You did- You did _what?_"

She nodded with a smile, fingers squeezing his shoulder soothingly.

"After I stumbled onto him, and apologized for breaking his nose…" She let out a small giggle. "He told me everything that happened and asked that I help him destroy the antidote so he could have a fresh start. You see, ants need to have an Ant Queen- she makes all the little ants. I was told to destroy theeggs he hatched and the ants that spawned from them_,_ but I was specifically directed not to disturb the Ant Queen _or_ destroy the antidote he created. If I did, his project would have been ruined."

"What did you do then, miss- oh, I mean, _Janny?_"

"I went into this dark tunnel, looking for the antidote when I came across the Ant Queen's guardians. There were _five_ of them! With big, snapping pincers and horns on their heads and backs! After doing away with all of them, I found a terminal that was hooked up to this machine that contained the antidote. I returned to Dr. Lesko and told him that my job was done, and I escorted him back down the tunnel to the terminal. I watched him work, asking questions about you and- and your dad…" She swallowed hard again, clutching the textbook on her lap so tightly her knuckles went bone white. "He refused to take responsibility for the trouble he caused… As a scientist, he felt that good things would and _should_ be sacrificed in order to come across great discoveries…"

Janny's eyes turned unfocused as she sniffled, unlatching a hand from his shoulder.

"I didn't know what to do. I pleaded, I tried reasoning with him- telling him that he _had_ to take care of you and erase all the damage he had done, but he simply refused! He just- he just _refused…_" She looked up at him. "I was angry. I shoved him away from the terminal and with my tire iron, I smashed it to pieces. Then I picked up the machine that held the antidote and smashed it on the ground." She smiled a little. "He was so upset, screaming and spitting _livid_ that I had destroyed many weeks' worth of tests and notes that would help guide him in starting the experiment over again. I told him I didn't care, I told him that if he wouldn't take responsibility for all the trouble then I would… And with that, I traveled deeper into the tunnel to search for the Ant Queen because I had made a promise to a _certain little boy_ that I would stop whatever started the fire ants." She smiled even wider at him knowingly.

Bryan stared back at her with a mixture of astonishment and gratitude. This was because she had gone above and beyond what he had expected all those years ago. When he met her outside the Super Duper Mart, he asked that she find his father, and that was it. Not _only_ did she find his dad, she buried him, destroyed the fire ants, and even went as far as making sure that Dr. Lesko wouldn't be able to destroy another town like that ever again… She made sure that he'd never get the chance to destroy another family _ever_ again…

"I found the Ant Queen deep in the tunnel in a _big_ cavern. Bryan, she was _huge!_ She was at least four to five times bigger than the fire ants- she had wings, and she spat this _bizarre_ substance that was similar to plasma, but it was lighter in color. It was blue, almost. After I killed her, I returned to Dr. Lesko and told him that the Ant Queen was dead… He practically chased me out of Marigold with a sharp stick!" She laughed a little, shaking her head. "After all that was over, I returned to you, and you were still sleeping like nothing bad had happened… When you had woken up and I told you it was all over, you were so happy…" Her voice trailed off on a blissfully content note.

Janny looked up at him, smiling sweetly as she handed him the textbook.

"I promised you all those years ago when I first found you, I was going to stop whatever was hurting you… And I hope I fulfilled that promise, Bryan."

Bryan nodded, smiling a little as well as he looked down at the textbook. He took it with slightly shaking hands, running his rough digits over the peeling cover. It felt like Christmas, and that he was getting the best present ever- he was given peace of mind, in his hometown and the wonderings of his goddess, and soon enough he'd be given the gift of some education. He'd be able to read soon!

"Is there anything else that you'd like to know about that day?" She asked, causing him to look at her as she slid off the edge of the desk and landed on her feet at his side, putting her brush down to place her hands on her hips.

"No," He shook his head, putting the book down in his lap. "Not about that day, anyways…"

"Oh?" She tilted her head to the side. "Then what would you like to ask?"

Bryan's smile was etched on his face from ear to ear as he looked up at her, and he held out the book.

"When can you start teaching me how to read?"

Janny smiled just as much as he did, picking up the textbook from his lap with her fingertips brushing over his.

"Starting now, of course."


	7. That Gut Feeling :: DAY 2

**Chapter Seven: That Gut Feeling**

_**Day Two**_

Bryan was sitting at the large, metal dining table in the Weatherly Hotel lobby in the far most corner from the door. At breakfast, only staff and room renters were able to sit for the morning meal while lunch and dinner were for everyone. He popped some Sugar Bombs into his mouth, chewing slowly as he thought about everything that happened last night. He thought over everything that he had learned, and he slowly closed his eyes as he visualized everything that happened in his head. He visualized his father's grave, the Marigold tunnels littered with the corpses of slain fire ants, his hometown of Grayditch- silent and still without the burning of fires and cars. He wondered if anyone moved into the town after that day. He wondered if anyone was there right now, or if any of the old residents stayed... Like Lesko.

But then, another image began to piece itself together in his mind. It was an image of Janny wearing a pretty Pre-War dress like CJ's mom usually wore. It was a light blue color with a dark blue sash around her waist and dark blue buttons holding the straps to the dress- its palette of blue shades had complimented her bright blue eyes quite nicely. She walked towards him at a slow pace with a dainty kink in her step. Flashing a smile, she extended a hand out to him.

_"Have you missed me, Bryan?" _She asked in a hopeful voice.

"Good morning, Bryan." The _real _Janny's voice broke his thoughts.

Bryan snapped up in his chair, accidentally inhaling the half-chewed Sugar Bombs in his mouth and they got caught in his throat, making him hack and cough violently.

"Oh my!" She exclaimed while chuckling, picking up his drinking glass from the table to hand it to him. "I didn't know I was so _terrifying!_"

He wheezed as he snatched the glass from her, knocking back a few sips till he was able to breathe. He stared up at her, breathing heavily and blinked away the aggravated tears that began to blur his vision.

"M- Morning, Janny." He choked out in a hoarse voice, causing her to laugh again. "I di- didn't see you…" He coughed again to clear his throat, pounding the side of his fist against his chest to get some more air running into him.

"Years of practice, Bryan." She answered with a playful wink, holding her hips. She was wearing a plain white t-shirt, and jean shorts that reached her mid-thigh framed her broad hips. She wore worn, black high top sneakers and her hair was pulled back into a loose hair clip so thick strands of hair framed her face.

"Years of practicing _what?_" He asked, taking another sip of water. "Scaring the living _crap_ out of people?"

She snorted, taking a seat next to him at the table as Mr. Buckingham hovered over to take her order. She simply asked for coffee and Fancy Lads Cake Snacks, and the robot butler quickly went away to get what she asked for.

"I had to learn how to be stealthy, you know." Janny answered, propping her elbows on the table and interlaced her fingers under her chin. "Sometime down the road, when you're out there, it's best to learn quickly that there are some battles that you simply _cannot_ fight. You're going to have to learn when to run for it, and there's only one way to do that if you'd like to live or have minimal injuries- you have to escape _undetected._"

"Have you ever been injured out in the Wastes?" Bryan asked.

She nodded. "Of course I have! You're not going to go out there and come back without a few battle scars to show for it."

"Can-… Can I see one?" He asked hesitantly, chewing on his lip.

Janny gave no reluctance or even a hint of a second thought as she tugged down the collar of her shirt willingly, exposing a small slice of an upraised scar underneath her collar bone. It was no thicker in width than that of a pinkie fingernail, its length ran about two inches and it was the color of red wine- almost dark purple-red in hue. It looked like it must have been quite painful at one time.

"The first wound I ever got when I left the Vault." She gazed down at it as well, running a finger down the length of the scar. It looked soft under her touch, melting to the shape of her fingertip. "I went to an Old World town close to Megaton called Springvale, looking for a woman named Silver. While I was out there, I came across two raiders, and they saw me before I could get away." She released the neckline of her shirt so it fell back into place, covering up the scar. "I managed to kill one of them easily enough, but I used up the rest of the rounds I had in my pistol doing so. I used my tire iron to take down the second one, but when I turned around, he wasn't there. Or I _thought_ he wasn't… He shoved me into the dirt from behind and pounced on me with a combat knife to my throat. When I struggled against him, he cut me- _deep_. The doctor who took care of me was shocked that it didn't come across anything vital."

She brushed her fingers through her hair, stopping her story as Mr. Buckingham returned with her coffee and box of Fancy Lads. She thanked him and ripped open the box, popping one of the small cakes into her mouth and washed it down with a sip of bitter coffee before continuing.

"I managed to distract him long enough to disarm him- I took his knife and stabbed him in the eye. He rolled off me, and I ran for my life." She laughed quietly, shaking her head. "I was so terrified that I ran all the way back to Megaton, and not until a day or so later did I realize that I left my _only _gun back where I found the raiders! I was too afraid to go back out and look for it… Instead, I did an odd job or two around the town and saved up enough to buy a rifle. I went back to Springvale about a month or so later, after doing more jobs and upgrading my aresenal, of course, and wiped out their hideout in the school."

"Wow," Bryan murmured with wide eyes. "That sounds amazing! Well, except for the part where you got jumped and hurt…"

Janny smiled a little, taking another sip of coffee. "Well, it is quite a _lovely_ morning to talk about manly things like guns and fighting and old battle scars, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't know," He shrugged. "I haven't gotten into a fight in my life."

"_Really?_" Her eyes widened in shock.

He nodded. "Well, actually- there was this one time Trinnie came into the Weatherly _really _drunk and elbowed me in the gut when I tried to take her back to Belle. Does that count?"

"Ah, Janny! It's_ great_ to see you!" Bannon called as he strolled into the hotel lobby with a big smile on his face. He stopped behind Janny's seat, and she seemed a little startled that he came across her.

"O- Oh! Good morning, Bannon..." She gave him a quizzical with her lips coming together in a tight line, as if not at all pleased by his presence. A hint of question hung in her eyes, like a gleaming gem. "Likewise, it's great to see you as well. Have you been getting along nicely during my absence?"

"Yes, of course, Potomac Attire has been booming! Business has never been better, I say!" He sat down next to her. "But enough about me, you haven't been here for _years!_ What have _you_ been up to?"

"Oh, nothing special, I assure you."

"_**Come** now!_ You are by far the most interesting person in Rivet City! You must have done _something_ while you were away!"

"Well- maybe a bounty here and there, some hunting down at the Anchorage Memorial, and doing whatever's in my power not to get into trouble!" She chuckled- Bannon did as well.

"So what are you doing back in Rivet City with such a tightly packed schedule, hmn?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "And after so _long,_ too?"

Mr. Buckingham hovered over after a while, asking if Bannon would like something to eat. He asked for scotch and a Brahmin steak, but when the robot butler stated that the Weatherly Hotel did not have Brahmin steak on the menu until lunch or any alcoholic beverages until "Happy Hour" after dinner, he grumbled and instead asked for coffee and an apple. Bryan watched, feeling a little excluded but tried not to think anything of it. Instead, he finished eating his Sugar Bombs from the almost empty box, careful not to choke on them again as he watched the two get along in their conversation.

"As I was saying, what brings you back to Rivet City after so long?" Bannon asked as Mr. Buckingham glided away.

"I needed a break, is all- a vacation, if you will." Janny answered as she sipped on her coffee and continued eating her Fancy Lads. "I thought it would be nice to catch up with some people who I haven't seen in a while." She shot Bryan a glance, and gave a brief smile.

"Well then, it's a good thing I caught you when I did! I should make some time in my _own_ busy schedule so we can sit down and have a nice chat... I would like to apologize for my- _behavior,_ from the last time you visited and I would like to make it up to you, if I could."

Bryan's ears perked up at this, sending a beady glance to the clothing proprietor. What was he apologizing for? He said his behavior the last time Janny was on the boat... Bryan wouldn't put past the older gentleman that he gave some unwanted behavior, he saw the tension between him and Seagrave when the repairman was still alive. Bannon had claws but not much balls, _that_ was for sure.

When Janny didn't seem to respond to his peace offer, he cleared his throat and continued on. "How long will you be in town?"

"Not too long, about two weeks." She answered, the tight lines of her lips faltering from her face to be replaced with something a bit _darker_ upon the last sentence. "I'm staying in Seagrave's old room."

"Oh, it's quite a _shame_ that he died." Bannon shook his head sympathetically. "Shameful, shameful, _shameful!_ He was a brilliant man. We've been in need of a new repairman since he died, but we haven't found anyone with the amount of skill this old ship needs."

"If it does not pose as a problem, I'll be more than happy to take a look at anything that needs repairing. I'm not the best out there, but I've been told that I've done great work." Janny offered kindly. Bryan knew it was probably more out of respect for Seagrave and the love for the people in Rivet City more than for Bannon, and if that was the case he couldn't help but agree with her motives.

"No, oh _no!_ I'd _hate_ to impose while you're here on vacation! I wouldn't like to take away from your relaxation time!" He exclaimed, shaking his head in disagreement.

"Nonsense, Bannon! Please, allow me to _at __**least **_take a look at anything that needs fixing."

Bannon eyed her warily, as if he wasn't at all quite sure about giving her the permission she requested.

"_I insist._" She added on.

"Oh, _fine!_" He exclaimed with a defeated sigh. "Let me speak with the council about it first, and I promise to get back to you on it."

"I will certainly hold you to it." She answered with a nod as he got up from his seat with a soft shriek of the chair's legs against the floor.

"Now, if you excuse me, it will be time to open shop in a few minutes." He looked to the dingy watch on his wrist, which Bryan caught with interest as he didn't think that it _actually _worked and kept time, and he turned to walk away. "We need to make time to chat!" He exclaimed over his shoulder as he walked out of the lobby. Mr. Buckingham stopped him right before he could quickly exit, holding his tray of requested food where the clothing proprietor declined it with a shake of his head, a wave of his hand, and strode out.

"Certainly!" She called after him. Bryan could see that although her mouth said "yes," her eyes screamed "_certainly __**not!**_"

Janny turned back to her coffee, which at this point had probably turned cold, as Harkness brushed past Bannon on his way into the hotel lobby.

"Morning Janny," The commander nodded to her, then to Bryan formerly. "Wilks."

"Good morning, Commander Harkness." He greeted politely. "Today's a fine day, isn't it?"

"Easy, kid, this isn't roll call. Just breakfast." He smirked, obviously a little impressed with his manners before looking to Janny and leaned over so he was closer to her. "Was Bannon just speaking with you?" He whispered, and it caused Bryan to strain his ears slightly so he could attempt to hear them.

"Indeed he was. He ordered breakfast here instead of down at Gary's Galley like always- is something wrong with the restaurant?"

"No," Harkness shook his head. "It opened at the usual time- Gary and Angela were both present. Why?"

"Bannon's lived here for years. He should know that the prices at Gary's Galley are cheaper than the hotel's. He should _also_ know that Vera doesn't have alcohol on the menu until after dinner at Happy Hour, and she's a very firm believer in eating food at the meals they should be eaten at…" She murmured, arms folding over her chest as she chewed her lip in thought.

"Wha- _what?_" He blinked in confusion with his brow furrowing. "What does that have _anything_ to do with Bannon?"

"Bannon is a man that doesn't change. When I was here ten years ago, _every_ morning for breakfast he ordered scotch and a Brahmin steak." Her eyes darted forward so she was staring straight at the wall across the table. The skin between her eyes was crinkled with deep thought, causing her big blue eyes to narrow significantly.

"So? The guy's a meat eater and a morning drinker, if it were a crime than you'd have to lock me up too." Harkness commented. "If you've got a point Jan, _which I'm sure you do_, make it and make it _fast_."

"What I'm _trying_ to say is why would a man who lives a uniform lifestyle suddenly order coffee and an apple, otherwise passing up the breakfast he's had for ten years and even_ longer_ when it's obviously available downstairs, and at a cheaper price no less?" Her eyes darted back to him with question.

"Maybe the guy was sick of red meat and morning drinking." He murmured jokingly, but his face was quite serious.

"Then he could have ordered something else. Even more so, when Mr. Buckingham delivered his meal he _declined it _and simply walked out."

"That's kinda strange... As much as I don't like Bannon and would clearly like to wring his neck for something, ordering a meal then leaving it cold could be explained with reasoning. Maybe he just changed his mind?"

"I could be over-thinking things Harkness, but I think he's up to something." She tapped her fingernails on her upper arm from their crossed position over her chest. "We both made it quite clear the last time I was here that we did not like each other, as he did not like that I helped Seagrave and I do not like him because I believe he is quite egotistical. He knew the _treatment _he gave me the last time I was here- and he _surely _remembered because he mentioned it- but sat down anyways and started conversing with me as if we were long lost friends. Oh, right- mentioning of Seagrave- do you know what _else _Bannon said?"

"What?"

"He actually said it was _shameful _that Seagrave died, and then began to _praise him _as if the two had been old friends. He then _apologized_ to me for how he poorly treated me the last time we encountered each other."

His eyes widened in shock. "Now I believe you. The guy doesn't apologize for _anything-_ even if he knows that it was his fault to begin with. Then acting all friendly about Seagrave when everyone on this ship _knew _that they hated each other to the point they could kill?... But still. I dunno." He waved her off. "Maybe you're just overthinking things."

"The only reason why'd he have to come down here is to talk to me- it seems that he came for nothing else. I have a gut feeling about him, Harkness…" Janny responded in a hushed whisper- an almost _fearful _whisper as she looked up to the commander with weary eyes. "Like this heavy weight is rolling around in my stomach- and it's not from the food, I assure you."

"I don't like the sound of that," Harkness replied, a little worriedly. "The _last time_ you had a gut feeling-?..." His voice trailed off.

"Bannon tried to get Seagrave kicked off the ship." Janny nodded in confirmation, looking up at him. "So you _do_ remember that?"

"Of course I do. You said Seagrave worked with the slav-" He stopped the words from leaving his lips, snapping his eyes to Bryan and noticed that he was listening.

Bryan tensed in his seat, quickly looking away as he dug into his cereal box to try and find more Sugar Bombs to seem inconspicuous- but there was no more at the bottom. He had already eaten them all.

"Just- Just trynna find the prize at the bottom…" He muttered when they were both staring at him.

"We can talk later, Harkness." Janny suggested, looking back at him as he straightened up. "I'll come by security headquarters when you're off duty later."

"I get off at nine," He replied as he walked towards the door.

"See you then." She answered as she finished off the rest of her coffee, finding her box of cake snacks to be empty, and she glanced up to Bryan with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. Our morning keeps getting interrupted, doesn't it?"

"I- It's fine…" Bryan replied, still digging in his cereal box. "You and Harkness seem close."

"Well, the commander and I aren't attached at the hip, but I'd like to say we have a close friendship, yes." Janny agreed, motioning for Mr. Buckingham to clear her mess and refill her coffee mug.

"Were you two- uhm…?" He looked up at her, hand still deep in his empty box and he swallowed hesitantly. "**_Ya_**_ know…_"

"_Sleeping_ _together,_ Bryan?" She giggled at the embarrassed blush on his cheeks.

"Well, I meant more along the lines of _dating-_" He started.

"Bryan, out here, dating and having sex aren't much different from one another." She pointed out, smiling a little as his cheeks darkened upon the _**S**_ word. "Every day is too short to not take risks and to not do something stupid. You never know when someone you care about is going to be stolen from you, so you try to make each moment count and last, and what better way to do that than through one of the most beautiful and natural acts two people can share?"

"Ye- Yeah…" He cleared his throat awkwardly, eyes finally meeting with hers. If you asked him if he believed he would be having a conversation like this with his savior, he would have given you quite a strange look that spoke for itself. "I guess you're right…"

Janny smiled. "I'm sorry- have I made you uncomfortable?"

"A little-" Bryan replied honestly. "Yeah, just a little." He smiled awkwardly, causing her to chuckle.

"I apologize. I didn't realize it might be a touchy subject, I just assumed that you- well, that you _knew_ about the birds and the bees." She sipped from her mug.

"I do," He nodded. "My dad used to tell me that it was either one smooth bird or one very drunk bee."

Janny choked on her coffee, spitting it back up into her cup and wiped her glistening lips, coughing quietly as she looked up at him with a funny look in her face and watery eyes. He was horrified the moment he said it, and he couldn't quite understand why he didn't stop himself _beforehand._

"You- Your _father_ told you about those sort of things when you were _eight?_" She coughed again.

"Younger, actually… I didn't really know what it actually meant 'til I talked to James."

"_James?_" She laughed dubiously. "I'm worried to ask where James got this information from!"

He shrugged. "You said it was a natural thing, right? Maybe he already knew."

Janny stared at him thoughtfully, smiling slightly and nodded while she took another measured sip from her mug, finally calming down her coughing fit.

"Maybe you're right, Bryan… Maybe you're right."


	8. I Want it Found! :: DAY 2

**A/N: WHAT'S UP EVERYBODY? I won' be talking for long :D Just to tell you guys that I was thinking about changing the day that I post chapters. I post them every Tuesday, but I realize that it might take a while for you guys to settle down so you can read them, considering it's a school day so you're at school for some of the day, then you come home and- if you're not ANYTHING like me- you do your homework C:! So, I was planning on changing the date to sometime over the weekend- either Saturday or Sunday, because I thought it'd be a little more convieniant for you guys!**

**Let me know what you think about he change ;D**

**Oh, also- ever heard of ? It's the sister website to where you can post original works. I made an account recently, and posted my first entry (a poem!) So go ahead and check it out! PLEASH? D:**

**My username is TheFloridaKeyz *HEHE Left4Dead...***

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight: I Want It Found!<strong>

_**Day Two**_

Rogue looked unto the lapping waves from the flight deck, frothing against the side of the giant aircraft carrier- _Rivet City, __**his city**_. He dared not lean into the railings, he knew how weak they were, _especially _under his weight, and he could plummet to his own unfortunate demise.

From behind him, he heard the shrieking opening of a door, presumably the one that led down to the security headquarters of the ship. He didn't bother to turn around- he knew who it was, because only one person was brave enough- or rather, _stupid enough_- to bother him when he was up on the flight deck.

"Rogue," Bannon called as he quietly shut the door and walked over to him. "Janny is in Rivet City on vacation, and she'll be staying here for two weeks."

"You are certain?" He asked, looking over his broad shoulder to gaze down at the smaller man with his good eye.

"It came _straight_ from the horse's mouth." He answered with a reassuring nod. "I still don't buy the whole vacation thing, Rivet City isn't exactly a number one hot spot in the Capital Wasteland! If you asked _me_, I'd be taking a nice, long vacation to Tenpenny Tower!"

"Well, I certainly did not _ask_ you so I certainly do not _care_." Rogue replied indifferently, turning around to face him fully. "What else did you discover?"

"She says part of her vacation plan is to catch up with some old friends. I made a date, so I could speak with her more, but she didn't seem all that enthusiastic about it." He rubbed the back of his neck with thought. "She says she hasn't been here in ten years because she's done- oh, what did she say?..." He closed his eyes to think. "Something about bounties and hunting at a place called Anchorage Memorial, nothing exciting, really."

"Hmn… Doesn't seem like enough to stay away for ten years," He mused as he stroked his beard. "The only thing out at Anchorage Memorial are Mirelurks and a stray Super Mutant or two- but the bounties?...I wonder if it's anyone we are familiar with."

"We? As in-?..." Bannon asked dryly with his dark-skinned face paling significantly.

Rogue nodded in reply. "Of course, Bannon. I speak of no one else, I _work_ for no one else." He looked back at the Capital Wasteland, reminiscing in its glorious sights of the far and wide that he could see from so high up.

"I said that I'd help you find it, but we've found nothing!" He exclaimed with irritation. "Rogue, I'm beginning to doubt that this thing is even _here_ anymore! It's been over two hundred _years _since the aircraft carrier was beached, someone could have taken it after all this time for all _we _know!"

"_**No!**_" He boomed, turning on his heel to glare down at him, pointing sharply with a thick finger. "Those documents on that old terminal are certain- it _is_ here, safely hidden away by many locks and doors that can only be opened with skilled hands! The incompetant lice-infested _Neanderthals _of this generation are too dim to even understand the capability of what we seek, let alone its value! We simply need to look harder- we need to look _deeper…_" He gazed out to the broken bow of the ship.

"You- You don't think-?..." Bannon murmured dubiously, eyes widening when he realized what his superior councilman was thinking. "Well, I suppose it's the only place on this ship that we _haven't_ looked…"

"Gather a hunting group to clear out the Mirelurks." Rogue answered with stern finality, folding his arms behind his broad back as he gazed back out upon the Capital Wasteland. "I want this thing _found,_ Bannon. Or Rivet City will fall to its knees…" He glanced back at him. "I will make _sure_ of it."

"A hunting group, sir?" Bannon asked, gawking at his superior. "There is no one on this ship that is able to meet with such qualifications of taking out a _Mirelurk nest, _of _all_ things! We are undermanned, and even if we did have the man power these people are- are- well... Not exactly _blessed_ with combat skills. Flak and Shrapnel can appreciate the power of a firearm, but I doubt we can convince them to help without some _heavy_ compensation. We could ask Zimmer's bodyguard for some help, but I also highly doubt that Zimmer will be lenient enough to let him loose..." His voice trailed off with a helpless shrug.

"Bannon, you are quite naive if you believe that I was suggesting seeking aid from the residents of Rivet City- _skilled or not_. It will be dangerous to involve anyone close to home in what we wish to achieve here. They could get greedy- claim that it is _theirs_ because they are born in Rivet blood and I am not. I may control this City, but a slight shift in power that plays into the hands of these people and all I've created will tower against me to dangerous levels..." He looked unto Bannon with a stern gaze in his shiny, cold eyes. "Hire a professional team! That way, we may-... _dispatch _any loose ends that threaten to unravel the golden cloth we've woven. Like Pinkerton, the annoying little twat."

Rogue turned on his heel and walked to the exit, effectively ending the conversation, leaving Bannon to stew in silence and sway with the howling wind that whipped at his back. He looked out at the Wasteland, almost wishing that he wouldn't look at it with such dread and fear. He finally ripped his eyes away and shook his head, walking towards the open exit as well.

But not before looking at the broken bow of Rivet City, and swallowing back the pit in his throat so it dropped into his uneasy stomach.


	9. The Dead Still Speak :: DAY 3

**A/N: HEY ALL! Just a quick note before you get to reading... Please do NOT mistake this chapter as an early update! This is simply me switching my update days from Tuesdays to Saturdays because not only is it more convieniant for me, but for my readers who are in school as well.**

**That is all. Oh, wait- next chapter will be posted on the 3rd of March! Enjoy! :D**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine: The Dead Still Speak<strong>

_**Day Three**_

Bryan leaned into the railing by the stairs that led to the second floor walkway in the marketplace. His hands were clasped together in front of him, sweaty and slick, as he watched Janny stand with Harkness in front of Seagrave's old marketplace stall. They both had serious looks on their faces, and neither spoke- they were just _staring_ at the empty space.

Suddenly, Janny piped up, but Bryan couldn't hear what she was saying…

Janny glanced to Harkness. "Vera said that Seagrave had a case of "red-lung," what on _Earth_ is that?"

"He got it from all the repairs he did below deck. He inhaled a lot of the rust damage, and the chemicals began eating away at the insides of his lungs, causing them to weaken and become inflamed. That's why it's called red-lung." He stared back at her, folding his arms over his chest. "And I know what you're going to ask next."

"Oh yeah?" She snorted, but she didn't smile, her eyes fixated on the empty place where Seagrave used to sit, and she remembered how they had so many pleasant conversations. She missed his company terribly.

"You're going to ask if that's how he died, aren't you?"

"You know me better than I know myself," She smiled a little now, and looked back at him. "It's rather unnerving..."

"Well, there was a time where _you_ knew me better than I knew myself," He smiled shrewdly. "Anyways, you're right. Seagrave _did_ have red-lung, but it didn't kill him." She gave him a peculiar raise of her brows, but he continued. "When Doctor Preston zipped up the body bag and called it a day, he said it was a serious case, but it hadn't reached the point where it was _lethal_."

"Then what had killed him?"

"Preston wrote it off as stress, lack of sleep, and his red-lung taking a toll on his body."

"So he essentially died sick and tired?"

"You make it sound ironic..."

She looked back to the empty stall, hands placed gently on her hips, looking for change of subject.

"I was _just_ as surprised as you were when I found that letter under his bed, you know- regarding the slavers... But I spoke to him, and he claimed that he was a changed man."

"And you were naïve enough to believe it," He rolled his eyes.

"_Hey,_" She warned tensely, glaring at him from the corner of her eyes. "I _know_ he was a changed man. There's a difference between knowing and believing. He was as clean as a whistle- he left the slaving business to become a new man. A _good _man... Which he truly was, indeed..." She looked back to Seagrave's cold perch as she added the last part on quietly. "Besides, if I hadn't been so fixated on clearing his name, I wouldn't have helped you capture the _real_ slaver and saved Mei Wong, am I right?"

Harkness sighed in defeat. "Yeah, yeah- _you did._ What the _hell_ kinda slaver has the name Sister, anyways?"

"Sister did," She snorted with a smirk. "But returning to the topic of Seagrave. What was he doing at the time? The time he died, I mean..." It sounded like she was still coming to gripping terms with the poor man's death with how her voice took on a certain strained tightness when she mentioned his time of death.

"He was sitting in his room- we assumed working at his terminal. Vera was first on the scene, screaming bloody murder for someone to come and help. One of the guards came to investigate, at which point he saw the body and grabbed Lana since she was off duty at the time- I was out front working the bridge- and she oversaw the entire thing, up until they cremated his body a few days later out of respect after the autopsy… I was told that Vera knocked on the door to find it open, and when she walked in he was lying on the floor, not breathing." He answered, rubbing his chin in deep thought. "Vera was there because Seagrave hadn't been feeling well and decided to order in for dinner."

"He was on the floor?" Janny looked up at him. "Then what makes you believe he was working on his terminal?"

"There was an opened document, something about the lower decks and how all the rust was getting to him." He replied. "Then just a bunch of rambling nonsense… Something to do with directions."

"Did Dr. Preston do an autopsy?"

"Yeah, it was made mandatory that anyone who dies on the ship is to be put through autopsy for the sake of the other citizens- this was Seagrave's case. The worry was that he may have had something deadly that everyone could contract, so the autopsy was performed. All Dr. Preston found was the already known illness of red-lung, but it's not contagious. Preston says he didn't find anything that was unusual or unexpected." Harkness looked back at her. "That was all before he left Rivet City to become a doctor at Tenpenny Tower. He had another doctor friend, Banfield something-or-other, there who died, and he was given a "special" invitation to become their new physician. He couldn't say no, and he booked it outta here the moment he could."

"So who's the new doctor around here?"

"Doctor Mayfield, she's excellent at what she does. She's better than Preston was, I can tell you that."

"What is _this_ that I'm hearing? Harkness- giving _praise?_"

"Shut it." He replied without missing a beat, but he was smiling at her.

Janny smiled as well. "You're probably just saying that because you think she's cute,"

"Cute? No offense to her, she's an intelligent woman, but I'm sure she was around when the bombs dropped." Harkness' brows furrowed together as he glanced up to where Bryan was standing on the second floor walkway, watching them. It looked like he hadn't noticed the young man until now.

"She's a ghoul?" She asked curiously, walking into the stall to graze the empty shelves with soft fingertips, looking at her finger pads to see that they've collected dust. She was surprised no one took the stall after the fact of Seagrave's death. "I don't find a problem with ghouls as some of them I've had more of my interesting conversations with- but I cannot speak for some of my cohorts... Does that sit well with Rivet City?"

"No, she's not a ghoul, she's just _really_ damn old- but she claims not old enough to kick the bucket anytime soon. When Angela's kid- Monica her name is, she's almost ten- is old enough she's going to become Mayfield's apprentice." He replied as he walked into the stall after her. "Wilks is watching us."

"When did you finally notice?" She asked, looking up at him with a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Wait, _you knew?_ And you didn't _say_ anything?"

"I thought you were well aware that he was watching us. He can't hear anything, I assure you, and even if he did he wouldn't tell a soul. Bryan's a good kid, and I'm surprised you have not seen that with how good your sense of character is." Janny stopped in front of a trunk that was in the back of the stall, and tilted her head to the side. "That's strange… Weren't all of Seagrave's belongings removed when he died?"

"Yup, but no one could get that damn trunk to budge." He replied with irritation. "Full of too much damn stuff- he was a scrap dealer, after all. No one could get it open, either." He stared at her as she got to her knees in front of the trunk, studying the lock closely. "Hey, I know how good you are with lock-picking and stuff- if you want, you could give it a try. I can authorize it."

Janny laughed warmly. "Oh, I'm so _very _lucky that I have friends in such high places, hmm?" She looked at him over her shoulder before looking back, fingering the detailing on the lock before a click resounded in the empty market place. He tried looking over her shoulder, but he couldn't see anything because she was blocking his view. "But it's no use, Harkness. Do you know what this is?"

"A stubborn trunk." Harkness replied in irritation once again.

"Well, yes, it's a stubborn trunk-" Her words halted when she pulled back to show him that int he intricate detailing on the top of the trunk, a latch had sprung open. Explained the clicking noise... "But it seems to be a stubborn trunk with _three_ locks."

"_Three?_" He exclaimed in astonishment, peering over her shoulder to get a better look. "But I only see one on the front!"

Janny was right. When the latch flipped up, it revealed three locks side by side. Each had a keyhole a different shape.

"That's a false lock, meant to trick whoever tries to break into it. Whatever is contained in here, he wanted to make sure _no one_ got to it."

Harkness whistled in shock, crouching down at her side. "You sound like you know what you're talking about... How the hell do you know?"

"I read a lot. I found a book on pioneers, _hundreds_ of years before the war between us and the Chinese. When they were exporting valuable goods, they used trunks such as this to conceal these goods- made with a false lock on the front for anyone who tried to break in, with the _true_ lock hidden somewhere on the lid in all the detailing. I'm actually just as surprised as you are that there are _three_, and not just one. It's amazing, considering the trunks with only one lock were considered tamper-proof in themselves! This could keep out even the _best _of them!"

"Wait, so if this trunk is from hundreds of years before the war, how did Seagrave come into contact with it?"

"The trunk isn't that old, so I think it's a_ very_ long shot that Seagrave would find a trunk from way back when in such great condition. It's a lot closer to our time than you think," Janny got to her feet, and Harkness rose with her. "The book I told you about, on pioneers and such? I bought that book from Seagrave when I came to Rivet City with Bryan. He was obviously an educated man, and if he read the section on the trick trunks?..." Her voice trailed off, allowing Harkness some time to calculate.

"He could have _easily_ tried to find a way to replicate it…" He finished.

"Exactly," She nodded. "He was very skilled with repair and creation, he was the creator of the Dart Gun, after all. If the pioneers could create such intricate locks, well, why couldn't Seagrave?"

"Then how the hell are we going to get it open when there are _three_ different locks? You can't pick _any_ of them, Jan?" He whined, looking down at her.

"I could try, but I think my attempts would be in vain." She crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. "Our best bet would be to find the keys and try to crack this thing open."

"A frag grenade would come in handy right about now…" Harkness mused.

"If you want to risk destroying whatever lay in the trunk, feel free to waltz over to Flak N' Shrapnel's and pick one up." She replied tauntingly with a smile. "All I'm finding interest in is why Seagrave would go through the trouble of such heavy duty security. He wasn't paranoid, by any means…"

"So you think whatever's in there was worth going through all the trouble?"

"I certainly believe so." Janny looked up at him.

"Jan, I don't have a good feeling about this…" Harkness muttered, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one else was watching them, other then Bryan, who he learned to ignore. "I just- this doesn't sit right with me…"

"I've got a bad feeling as well, Harkness. In fact, the pit in my stomach from yesterday has grown only bigger." She brushed her hair back with long fingers. "First things first, we need to make our agenda for the day."

"_We?_ You mean _you,_ I go on duty in an hour." He stated, hooking a thumb over his shoulder to the exit at the top of the staircase.

"I'm going to speak with Dr. Mayfield and see if Dr. Preston possibly left behind any documentation on Seagrave's autopsy-"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look…" Harkness interrupted.

"_And_ I want to know where his terminal is. It would be a great place to start looking into this. I should also talk to Vera, he was renting a room from her, correct?" He nodded. "What did she do with all his belongings when he died?"

"Well, when someone in Rivet City dies, we hold an auction. The money we get from the auction goes towards whatever needs fixing- new lights, pipes needing patches, railings needing to be replaced, that sort of thing- but with our repairman _dead…_" His voice trailed off.

"Where are his belongings and where did the money go to?" She picked up.

"The money went to the church, and his belongings were auctioned off to the people of Rivet City, so I'd suggest you ask around- but be _discreet_ Jan. If anyone knows about what we've discovered today, they might try to get into this trunk. Maybe even go farther than we could imagine in order to get it. And if you happen to ask the wrong person-?"

"I get it, but I hope you know that I am perfectly capable of protecting myself!" Janny exclaimed with a proud smirk.

"Oh _really?_" Harkness challenged, stepping up to her so their chests almost touched, and he grinned down at her.

"Yes, _really._" Janny answered evenly with a smile that seemed to accept his challenge wordlessly as she stepped up even closer to him.

"_**Prove**__ it._"

"Only if security won't kick me out of Rivet City for making their commander cry," She teased.

"Bring it." He ignored her jab.

"Okay," She sighed with a roll of her eyes, narrowly evading a right hook Harkness sent her way by ducking into a crouch. She reacted with her leg sweeping across the floor, knocking him off his feet so he landed on his back with a sore groan.

"Is that the best you got?" He grunted with slight irritation, shooting daggers at her.

"No," She smiled, still crouched on the floor at his feet. "I'm just getting started, actually."

Janny tucked and rolled past him, unlatching his combat knife from his thigh as she did. Scurrying to evade the attack, he rolled onto his side and swiped at her, barely grazing her arm as she rolled away towards Cindy's shop, _A Quick Fix_. She halted her roll, coming onto her feet stealthily with her glassy eyes following Harkness' every move as if she were a sly cat and he were a timid mouse, tail twitching back and forth as she contemplated her next move.

With a smirk, she lashed the combat knife at him with an outward flick of her wrist. It went sailing over his shoulder, by slim chance missing his cheek, and connected with the counter of the empty stall, lodging itself into the counter top. He glanced back at it, looking back at her, still crouched on the floor, with a dumbstruck look in his eyes.

"I haven't been gone for ten years to hide in my home- I haven't gotten rusty, if that was what you were hoping for." Janny spoke in a slightly arrogant tone, looking up to see Bryan running towards them with his face contorted into fear and worry.

"Janny, what are you _doing?_" He cried, stopping at her side. "Why are you trying to kill Harkness?"

She laughed, clapping her hand down on his shoulder. "Harkness and I weren't fighting. Well- we _were…_" She cleared her throat. "He just wanted to see some of my combat skills, and I accepted the challenge."

Harkness grumbled to himself, arms folded over his chest as he pouted like a sore loser and pried his knife out from the counter as Janny continued to laugh.

"Well, at least you aren't crying." She teased, and he shot her a scalding glare. "Rivet City's made you soft!"

"Has not!" He exclaimed childishly as he mentally stroked his poor ego back to inflation.

"Anyways, I'm glad that you're here Bryan." She commented, looking back at him with her hands on her hips determinedly.

"You- You are?" He stammered quietly, wide eyes blinking as his cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Of course. I wanted to ask if you or Vera come into possession of any of Seagrave's belongings when he passed away."

"Seagrave's stuff?..." He took a moment to think. "Oh, yeah! She bought a toolbox that has all his old tools in it- said it was a nice reminder of him or something."

"Was there anything… _Peculiar_, in the toolbox?" She asked apprehensively. "Like a letter, or a key? Anything that shouldn't be in a toolbox?"

"Well, now that you mention it- yeah, Aunt Vera found a key at the bottom. She couldn't find what it was for, though." Bryan scratched his head, ruffling his choppy hair that hung a little past his shoulders. "It didn't open anything that belonged to him, so she thought that it may have been something that he found while he was in the lower levels fixing pipes or something and thought it was interesting."

Janny and Harkness looked at each other, as if they knew what the other was thinking. His eyes suddenly darted away, and with a quick, discreet motion he gestured for her to come to him.

"What is it?" She asked when she was at his side.

"Rogue is coming this way. He's fucking paranoid about the smallest things, if he see's you hanging around Seagrave's stall he might get suspicious and arrest you for conspiracy or something. I'll distract him, take Wilks and make yourself scarce."

"Huh?" Janny looked towards the marketplace entry staircase to see a very tall and muscular man standing at the top of the stairs, making his way down. Bannon walked behind him. "_That's_ Rogue?"

He nodded. "Big fella, ain't he?"

"If I didn't know better, I could have mistaken him for a _Super Mutant!_" She exclaimed with wide eyes. "I thought you called him a petty criminal? It looks like he could rip a Deathclaw in half and put Behemoths to shame!"

"Then pray that he feels like ripping Deathclaws apart today and not _you_ or Wilks if he sees you! Get outta here!" Harkness warned sternly, shooing her towards Bryan.

"Bryan, we have to go." She spoke frantically as she latched a firm hand onto his arm.

"Go? What for?" He looked up and saw Rogue making his way over, but taking a moment to stop at Bannon's clothing stall to speak with him. "_Oh…_ Rogue scares me."

"Believe it or not, he scares me too." She replied as she stepped to Harkness for a moment, whispering into his ear. "Don't worry- I haven't forgotten about your problem with Zimmer inspite of the mystery behind Seagrave's trunk. I'll go down to the bow later on today to see if Horace is still around."

"Thanks Jan," He murmured, never removing his eyes from Rogue and Bannon. "Ask Wilks if he- if he saw any type of life down there in the bow before you go."

She nodded. "By "any type of life", do you mean life _other_ than angry Mirelurks?" She smiled.

"I mean life as in _human life._ Wilks might have seen something that's linked to Pinkerton. Now go!" He whispered tensely with a hoarse strain.

And as Rogue turned around to stare at Harkness, that was _exactly_ what Janny and Bryan did. They ran like fiends to the door that led to the flight deck, leaving the councilman none the wiser as he strode towards the commander, questioning his presence around the abandoned kiosk as if he were being trialed for conspiracy.


	10. Are You Worried? :: DAY 3

**Chapter Ten: Are You Worried?**

_**Day Three**_

"Huh?" Bryan asked, eyes squinting as Janny stood on the bridge extended out to Rivet City, leaning into the railing at its side while looking upon the broken bow. "Did I _find _anything?"

She nodded in confirmation, looking at him over her shoulder. "Was there anyone else down there?"

"Well…" He scratched his head. "Just a buncha Mirelurks, really."

"I mean _people_, Bryan, when I ask if you saw anything down there." She turned around so she was facing him completely, gripping the railing with her other hand gripping her hip. "Did you see _anything_ that implied that there was someone alive down in the bow when you were with James and C.J.?"

"Not really. We just found a lot of cans and bottles- mostly garbage." He cocked his head as she began walking down the bridge in a slow, thoughtful stride towards land. He followed her closely. "Why are 'ya asking?"

"Just curious…" She replied once he was at her side. She was only staring forward, taking off her plasma rifle to check it over closely.

Bryan watched as she worked. "Where did you get a gun like that, Janny?"

"My plasma rifle?" Janny smiled, holding it up for him to see as they walked into the metal structure and down the sloping walkway. "I got it from Harkness, actually."

He tensed slightly, but said nothing as they continued walking. Who in their right _mind_ would give such a priceless gift? Unless it was broken or there was something wrong with it- that would be a different story. But if Harkness gave it to her _willingly?... _When he asked- or actually _implied_ through question- if they had dated before, she didn't really answer it… The conversation sort of drifted off from there, so he never got a proper response. Or at least one that was even _worth _mentioning.

She must have sensed his concern, because with a smile, she quickly added on;

"I had done him a very big favor, you see. He didn't know how else to repay me, so he gave me ownership of his plasma rifle." She looked back forward. "He claimed that it was loyal and had never failed him in all the years that he used it, and he reckoned that it would do the same with me. He was right- it's a beautiful weapon to have."

After that, he shook his head clear of any more thoughts of Janny and Harkness being involved romantically, but his mind still had little inklings dotted about his brain like a festering disease milking him of any energy.

"Bryan, I need you to do me a favor." Janny spoke as they reached the shore, and she knelt down in the grainy sand. "I need you to watch my things."

"Your… things?" He asked, eyes widening when she handed him the plasma rifle, and he took it reluctantly, as if it would burn him. "Wa- Wait! What am I holding your stuff for?"

"I want to go exploring," She replied with a toothy smirk as she untied her combat knife's binding from her thigh. He didn't even know it was there until she peeled it off and handed it to him as well.

"Exploring? In the bow?" He exclaimed as she shrugged off her long coat and laid it over his outstretched hands. "You can't! Harkness said it's off-limits!"

"Harkness gave me permission to look around down there." She answered. "He knows quite well that I am a skilled combatant, as he saw in the marketplace only moments ago, and he wants me to go into the bow to see if there's anything I can scrounge up to trade for Rivet City."

Bryan's eyes widened as she crossed her arms over her stomach, fingers sliding underneath the hem of her shirt, and she pulled it up over her head to reveal tight, black binding wrapped around her full breasts. His jaw dropped and, with his eyes practically popping out of his skull with how wide they were, they quickly danced away to look at a particularly interesting rock, trying to be a decent gentleman for her.

"Uhm…" He murmured awkwardly, cringing when she tossed the garment onto the growing pile of her possessions that were in his outstretched hands. She worked on her sneakers next, simply slipping them off and placing them neatly in the sand then yanked off her socks and tossed them at him, tugging off her shorts to reveal tight boy shorts that matched her breast wrapping. She tossed her shorts to him, handing her shoes over as well while digging around in the stash in his arms to find her knife.

"You're going in _unarmed?_ No armor, no weapons, _nothing?_" Bryan exclaimed fearfully, practically dropping her stuff onto the ground as he did so.

"I said I am a skilled combatant, didn't I?" Janny gave him a reassuring wink, holding her sheathed blade between her teeth to free her hands so she could tie back her hair in a tight ponytail. "I've had my fair share of dog fights and unfair odds, as you can see." She motioned down to the scars that riddled her torso.

Four long slashes came from the side of her ribcage to the center of her abdomen in a diaganol, they looked old, for they resembled scars. There was a bite mark in the crook of her shoulder, and another on her right upper arm that looked too big to be canine. He noticed a sunken bullet wound on her left hip, and some other grazes and scratches and scars on her thighs, with a deep, red-purple scar that stretched over her knee cap- similar to the one below her collar bone.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" He cried, muscles tensing at the thought of her mangled body decomposing in the bow. "That just _proves _that you aren't bulletproof!"

"I never said I _was_ bulletproof, Bryan." She reminded him.

"Either way, it shows that you could get hurt! Or- Or worse, _killed!_"

This seemed to make her smile as she slipped the blade into her breast wrapping for easy access, looking back at him.

"Are you worried about me, Bryan?" She asked sweetly in a soft, silken voice that ran a welcomed shiver up his spine.

His already evident blush darkened significantly and he cleared his throat, looking away.

"Of course I'm worried…" He replied honestly, staring at the ground and how the dust coated his shoes. "You're risking your life for scrap! This is different from when you protected me when I was a kid," He looked back at her. "Don't do this, Janny…"

"Bryan, I-"

"_Please..._" He added on desperately, staring her straight in the eye. "Please?..."

Her smile disappeared and she sighed, looking up at him with sympathetic eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Bryan, I-…" She sighed again. "I'm not looking for scrap. I'm looking for someone."

"S- Someone?" His brows furrowed together.

"It was for your own good, the less you know, the better. I want to give you legitimate absence of knowledge, in case someone bad were to come around, snooping for answers." She replied softly, looking back out to the shimmering blue water. "I believe that there's a man named Horace Pinkerton in there, and I have some questions that need answering- answers that only _he_ may have for me."

"Pinkerton?..." Bryan blinked in recognition of the name. "You mean that guy who's haunting the bow?"

She laughed heartily. "He's not dead, well- I _hope_ he isn't. If he was, that would certainly pull a snag in my plans!" She turned back to the water, walking in knee-deep and cupped her hands in it, bringing up water to splash onto her arms and chest to quickly get used to how cold it was. "I met him once before- but that was ten years ago, and he'd hardly recognize me now with how old I assume he is to be, if he is still alive. He was quite rude, though… He had an _extreme _dislike for Dr. Li- _you remember her?_- and he couldn't get me out of his little hideaway fast enough!"

As Janny turned back around to continue dipping her arms in the water, Bryan saw that in the middle of her back was a large splotch of ruined, reddened skin- as if someone had tagged her with a flamethrower or maybe a frag grenade too closely.

"Can't I come with you?" He pleaded, walking to the shoreline, right before the water was able to touch the toe of his boots. "Don't go in alone!"

"Bryan," She looked back at him over her shoulder with a kind smile, walking deeper into the water. "I'll come back to you."

"_I'll come back to you."_ The words made his heart flutter in his chest, causing the organ to begin pumping wildly in his ribcage, making it feel as if his skin were aflame with tingles.

"…Promise?" He muttered, staring at her ponytail swaying between her tan shoulder blades as she walked out farther from him.

Janny nodded, smiling even more. "I promise. I'll even bring you back something nice, alright?"

He looked away, and finally nodded reluctantly.

"Just-… _Be careful._" He begged.

She nodded once more as he walked back to the metal structure of Rivet City, and she swam towards the underwater entrance of the bow. But he looked back just in time to see her wave and take a deep inhale, diving under the water with her hips jutting upward to the surface and she kicked as she maneuvered her body downward. He smiled a little, picking a nice spot to sit at the base of the metal slope, next to the water caravaneers, where he could see the shore from. He wanted to be the first to see her when she returned from her little adventure.

Heavy boots clopped down the metal walkway at his side- he looked up to see a black-skinned security guard. It wasn't unusual to see them off the ship, they'd sometimes do a quick perimeter check to make sure the Super Mutants weren't straying too close to the settlement. But then, he saw the guard stumble towards Lucky Harith's Brahmin.

"_Bryan, I-…I'm not looking for scrap. I'm looking for someone."_

He closed his eyes, letting her words echo in his head. Why did she feel the need to lie to him at all? Did she not _trust_ him? Maybe she simply didn't think that it was any of his business?...

Or maybe, _like she had mentioned,_ she was worried for him and believed that the less he knew, the better off he would be- she was looking out for his best interests like she had done so many years ago, when he was just a little eight year old boy. Orphaned and alone without anyone else but a goddess to turn to.

Bryan knew that when Janny promised something, she'd fulfill it. Even though worry and fear had his heart and stomach in a vice grip, he felt somewhat relieved- like he believed she'd return.

In actuality, he _knew_ she would come back to him, just like she said she would.

Nothing more happened as his eyes grew sore and heavy under his eyelids, and he dozed off- but then again, that was before he was able to watch the security guard once speaking with Lucky Harith walk past him to the gritty shoreline where Janny had disappeared to follow her.


	11. A High Speed Chase :: DAY 3

**A/N: HEY EVERYONE! Enjoying your Saturday? I know I am :D I'm on Spring Break! WHOO! x3**

**Hehe, anywho! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :D It feels a little quick at the end, but other than that, I think it came out pretty decent :3**

**Hope you enjoyed it enough to leave a review!**

**Happy reading, happ writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: A High-Speed Chase<strong>

_**Day Three**_

Janny brought her head above water, sucking in deep breaths of sweet air as she swam towards the stairs with long, powerful strokes so she could get out of the freezing cold that surrounded her. She clambered up the metal steps, gripping the railing for support (which was just as cold as the water- if not _colder_), and looked down a narrow hallway elbowing from the stairs. She pulled her combat knife from her breast wrapping, unsheathing it from its binding and tied it on her hip. Dripping wet and otherwise cold, goose bumps riddling her skin and causing her to quiver, she cautiously walked down the hall, straining her ears for any source of noise- for any source of _life._

She stopped for a moment, pressing her back to the cold metal wall as a Mirelurk unhurriedly walked right past her, chittering to itself without even acknowledging her presence as it turned the corner and went away. She released the breath she had been holding and stepped out carefully, sure to not make any noise, and with light footsteps she went down another long corridor.

Janny remembered the first time she had come to the broken bow in search of Pinkerton- unlike now, Harkness forbade her from going there. She knew that it was partially due to the fact that it _was_ dangerous because of all the Mirelurks and traps set out, but also because Pinkerton had installed some sort of program into the commander, causing Harkness to go into a sort of "defense" mode whenever anybody even _mentioned_ Pinkerton. It would ward people off from wanting to go into the bow of the ship. Needless to say, it came in handy at times because of Harkness' position as the head of security and Commander, as it kept people from bothering the crabby windbag scientist.

She desperately hoped the man was still alive- she wasn't lying to Bryan when she said that he may be the only one to answer the questions she had, like who had contacted Zimmer and told him that his android was in Rivet City, still alive and kicking (but deep down, she believed that Pinkerton _was_ the informant). Why tell Zimmer that his android was here but _not_ tell him who it was? Does that mean that the informant did not know the identity of the android? Or did they just want to _seem_ like they didn't know?

Maybe it _wasn't_ Pinkerton, in that case... Maybe he didn't tell- or maybe he thought he'd have the last laugh before kicking the bucket. He seemed to be a crazy old bastard that way.

She shook her head, dripping wet hair sticking to her shoulder blades and back as she did.

Coming across a large room, she recognized it as the room right outside of Pinkerton's hideout. She looked around, making sure no frag mines or trip wires lined the floor as she stepped forward. Even then, she walked cautiously, choosing where she was stepping wisely until-

_**Click.**_

Janny ducked down, dropping flat on her stomach and covering her arms over her head for protection as a sizeable block of rubble with rebar jutting out from its sides sailed overhead, dislodged from the wall and attached to the ceiling by a sturdy metal chain. It circled back and forth over her like a bad rain cloud, and she glanced up to stare at it. The wrecking ball would have either knocked her off her feet from the sheer force, or impaled her!

Crawling out from underneath it, she looked back to see that she had stepped on a pressure plate- camouflaged by some strewn about paperwork and she continued crawling on her stomach till she got to the door. From there, she jumped to her feet and pushed the door open, groaning with the strength and force she had to use to even crack it open enough so she could wriggle through. Once completely inside, she replaced her combat knife in its binding on her hip and looked around the room, stepping forward.

Pinkerton's hideout hadn't changed much- it was just a lot messier, and a lot more cluttered than she had previously remembered…

"Hello?" She called, stopping in the center of the room to stare at a workbench covered in welded scrap metal and various tools. "Horace? Horace Pinkerton? Are you here?"

"_Huh?_ What was that?" A shrill voice called, followed by a thumping nose.

Janny looked up to the second floor landing that jut over her head, finding an older than she remembered Pinkerton with thick spectacles on his long nose, wrinkled expression contorted into the ugliest frown she had ever seen in her life. He was hunched over onto a poorly made cane, and it seemed to be the only thing that held him up- remarkably.

"Who- Who the hell are you?" He pointed his cane at her accusingly. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Nice to see you too, Horace." She replied indifferently, watching as he _very_ slowly came down the stairs at her right. He was slower than a Protectron trampling through irradiated peanut butter!

"How do you know my name?" He asked hoarsely, pulling a handkerchief from his pants pocket to cough wetly into it. "And I'm only gonna ask one more time- _how the __**hell**__ did you get in here?_"

"I've been here before," She commented as he shuffled past her to his cluttered workbench, brushing the welded scrap metal off with a swooping arm to clatter onto the floor. "I came here once before to ask you questions. My name is Janny."

"Don't get visitors, but I remember this one girl from long ago..." He announced gruffly, picking up a container of noodles and placed it on the workbench, plugging in a hot plate to place it next to his dry meal. "Nosy one she was… Asking about an android… A _synth_ man, they call 'em!"

She was slightly surprised that he was being so… open. A lot more open than the last time she sought his company. He called her a brat and a few other things she wouldn't care to delve too deeply into once more.

"Yes, that girl was me, Horace. It's been ten years since we last saw each other, and yes, I had asked you about Harkness- the android you performed facial reconstruction and a mind swipe on."

He chuckled dryly, glancing up at her and fixing the spectacles on his face. "In _that _case, did you use the recall code I gave you?"

Janny nodded, stunned that he remembered something like the recall code he gave her. "I certainly did. You were correct- he remembered the moment I spoke those magic words."

"Ah, technology! So fickle, and at times hard to understand, but so _easy_ to manipulate- so easy to use… Amazing, is it not?"

"I agree." She crossed her arms over her wrapped chest, still dripping slightly. "I'm sure you know that I'm not here for friendly chit-chat."

"Oh, I know." He smacked his lips as he filled a pot with purified water and set it on the heating hot plate. "I made it quite clear the last time you were here that I wanted you to get out, Jenny."

"It's _Janny,_ and I understand. If you cooperate, just like last time, I will leave you to your lunch in peace. I have more questions about Harkness."

"The android?" He laughed hoarsely, which quickly turned into an aggravated hack, and he grabbed his handkerchief to cough into it again. "You know, you're not the only one who came asking about the android- if you _are _the girl from all those years ago."

"I'm not?" She asked in an alarmed tone. "Who came?"

"A man, asking very curious questions… Wouldn't shut the hell up." He grumped.

"A man?" Her brows furrowed together in question. "Was it a man named Zimmer?"

"Nah- Banner or Brandy, some such shit, Sandy." He muttered as he peeled back the flimsy lid on his noodles with trembling fingers.

"_Janny." _She corrected him again with a frown._ "_And Banner or Brandy?…" She mused. She didn't know anybody by either name- but for all she knew it could be someone she's never met before that was working with Zimmer to grab at Harkness.

Pinkerton nodded. "The man came in with another fella. He didn't talk- Brandy-Banner _what's-his-name_ did all the talking, asking questions about your robot friend… Prissy asshole if you ask me…" He grumped again.

Janny's eyes widened with shock. "This man asked for information about Harkness?"

"Of course- but not _just _questions on the synth, he claims to have heard of my work and asked if it was true that I could perform facial reconstructive surgery! I told him I'd be _damned_ if I weren't able to, and then he asked if I would be able to do a mind sweep as well."

"A mind sweep, huh?..." She muttered to herself, looking back at him. "A mind sweep on who? Himself?"

He shook his head. "Nah, he asked if it could be done on a human in general."

"So how did you respond?"

"I didn't like the vibes I was getting. Told him a damn _lie_- said that I was only able to do it on an android, as they have an AI- that's artificial intelligence, if you're too _dense_ to know-"

"I'm a lot brighter than you think," She grimaced, interrupting him. "I assume you told him that the human brain was a lot more complicated than that of an android, and that performing a mind sweep on a human would put a lot at risk for the subject being performed on?"

Pinkerton simply "hmphed" to himself, pouring his boiling water into his noodle bowl and clasped the lid down to let the noodles cook.

"I did say that, and in a way it is true. With Harkness' mind wipe, I was able to put the memories behind a door. The door had a key, which is the recall code I gave you, so it could be opened- but it will never be closed after that unless he asks for another conk on the noggin. With humans, the door is actually an impenetrable _wall. _Once it's set up, whatever memories lie behind it aren't accessible any longer. It's like permanent amnesia."

"Androids are built to obey every order or code they're given, whether they like it or not. Humans are taught to _learn _orders, but are given the option- the _freedom-_ to ignore them, or comply with them. For lack of a better example, if you yell at a person to remember their forgotten name, it's almost like their brain _chooses _whether or not the person should remember his or her name. It's a lot more difficult than that, but I'll spare you the details." He finally admitted, holding his cane. "Anyways, the prissy asshole said it was a downright shame, asked a few more questions about the synth and left."

"What other questions did this man ask?" Janny asked, walking towards him steadily.

"Asked what sort of memories I implanted in Harkness so he wouldn't suspect that he was an android, asked if he had some sorta codeword that would trigger certain actions or reactions- asked a _lot_ of questions about codes and trigger words..." He shook his head, clutching his cane even tighter till his bony knuckles turned white.

"What do you mean? Did he ask for _specific codes_, Horace?" She replied worriedly, brushing back her bangs which were matted to her forehead and damp. Almost clingy.

"He asked for the code that would cause Harkness to enter combat mode. In combat mode, Harkness interacts with his opponent hostilely, whether said opponent is an actual threat or is as harmless as a radroach. It acts as if his body worked but his mind shut itself down. He'd become a shell, essentially." He began in a shaky voice, wiping the perspiration that began to glisten on his forehead. "He asked if Harkness would be able to self-destruct or become a mindless _freak_ if someone knew a code that could completely render him brainwashed! He even asked if there was a permanent _shutdown_ code!"

"What did you _tell him_, Horace?" Janny boomed in a stern voice, slamming a rolled fist down on the workbench to show that she meant business, spilling the elderly man's noodles onto the floor in the process. "What did you say to this man?"

Pinkerton began shaking more, replying in a broken voice. "The fella that came with him held a gun to my head when I said I wouldn't tell him a _fucking_ thing!" He looked away, brushing a trembling hand over his face and sighed deeply, continuing feebly. "I told him everything I knew about the codes, even the ones he didn't ask for_… _I was a scared old man… Still am, by God."

"_You told him __**everything?**_" Her eyes widened in horror as she stepped back, heart pounding in her chest. This wasn't good… Someone on the ship knew Harkness was an android, _and_ knew all of his codes! This had to be the same person who contacted Zimmer, and if that were the case, why didn't he tell Zimmer the android's identity? Why didn't he tell Zimmer that he had the codes? _Why? Why? Why? **Why?**_

"Have you ever met a man named Zimmer?" She asked suddenly.

"I- I don't-…" He trailed off.

"You better think _long_ and _hard_ before you lie to me Horace." She warned in an acidic tone, narrowing her eyes to sharpened pin points on the back of his head. "Or you _will_ wish that this man _did_ kill you."

She didn't feel so good about threatening an old man, but she had no other choice. She needed answers to her questions and she needed them _now!_

"I never met a man named Zimmer before. I only heard about him from Harkness, when he was giving his last testimony before I cracked him open." He answered after some time of contemplation. Or maybe he was searching through his memories?

Either way, he wasn't lying to her.

"So you never told anyone Harkness is an android?" He shook his head. "And what about this mysterious visitor of yours?"

"I never fuckin' told _anyone _that Harkness was an android! Had no damn reason to, and if you haven't noticed I like keeping to myself!" He grimaced. "When that prissy asshole came down here, he already _knew _Harkness was an android. He just wanted to know more about him."

"Damnit all to-..." She bit her lip and held her hand to her forehead.

"I- I didn't tell him _everything_, Janny…" He murmured in that broken, terrified voice as he knelt down in front of a safe in the corner behind his workbench, opening it with shaking fingers and pulled out a leather-bound book, slowly rising to his feet with the help of his cane and turned back to her, handing it over.

"What- What _is_ this?" She asked, clutching it in one hand while she raked her finger pads over it with the other.

"A journal I kept over the years, since I became a scientist and a surgeon- stopped writing in it 'cause of my fucking arthritis… Can't hold a damn pen anymore…" He grumbled. "I wrote down _all_ the codes I could crank out of that tin can opener during the operation. Even though I gave Brandy, Banner- _that prissy asshole-_ a lot of codes, I gave some of the ones he asked for and some pretty useless ones as well, saying that they did something _other_ than what they actually could do. It's like pressing a button on a remote without any labels- when you've been told one button will turn the T.V. off, it instead changes channels. It may not work as a distraction for long if he plans on testing them out on the android, but I thought it could help buy some time for me to set up more traps before he and his friend returned."

"This is good…" She replied, still stroking the cover of the book and nodded. "This is _some_ good news! What happened after you gave him everything he needed to know?"

"Mumbled something to himself 'bout visiting a _sea grave_… Thought he was nuts, and I told him so. Simply waved me off and walked out."

The first thought that rung in her head was the name of the late Seagrave Holmes. What did he have to do with all of this? As far as she knew, he didn't know Harkness was an android!

Or maye he did...

"I- I need to warn Harkness!" Janny glanced over to the hunched over scientist. "I have to tell him someone's possibly after him, or worse, working with Zimmer!"

A sharp noise ripped through the air past Janny's head, and Pinkerton's head exploded into a fine red mist, showering down chunks of grey matter and flesh and shattered bone. His frail body was thrown against the wall by the impact, blood splattering everywhere, and slumped to the floor with his cane clattering next to his headless corpse. She spun around to find a dark-skinned man standing in the doorway, silenced 10mm pistol in hand, donning a helmet with a protective mask and worn black armor. His uniform looked all too similar to that of Rivet City's security team.

"You _won't_ be telling Harkness anything, because you're not making it out of here _alive._" The guard smirked, motioning at her with his weapon. "Now put your hands up where I can see them. And _no_ funny business, or I'll shoot your fucking head off like I did to that poor, wrinkled old bastard."

Janny looked back over her shoulder at the unfortunate mess that was Pinkerton, slowly holding her arms up like she had been directed, his journal held in one hand. The guard came over, ripping her combat knife off from her hip and tossed it over his shoulder so it slid to the door. She inwardly cursed, chewing her lip as he continued patting her down for weapons.

Suddenly, an escape plan flickered on in her head. She didn't like it, but it was worth a shot…

"That's all you got on you?" He asked sternly, but all she did was stare at him.

She smirked sinfully. "Sorry- what was that? I was so distracted, I-… I have a _thing_ for a man in uniform. It just gets me so… _hot_." She ran the tip of her tongue along her upper lip as if to get her point across, eyeing him flirtatiously.

The guard gawked at her strangely, clearing his throat to recollect himself.

"I said, is that _all_ the weapons you've got?" He grew impatient when she, instead of answering, raked her eyes all up and down his body seductively. "Bitch, _answer_ me!"

She made a subtle moaning noise, causing his eyes to snap wide open. "I've got a thing for name calling, too…" She explained quietly when he shot her a suspicious glance.

He smiled a little, and she could see his muscles relaxing. "You're a naughty little bitch, aren't you?"

"Only for the one who's got me bent over a table, _fucking me senseless_." She replied as sweetly as she could, ending her sentence in a sultry voice.

"Oh, I gotcha baby," He crowed with his smile deepening and he holstered his weapon at his hip, wrapping his arm around her curvy waist. "I gotcha…" He murmured again, running a hand up her thigh to grab her ass.

She moaned against his neck, lowering her arms slightly but not enough for him to notice. She nudged at the protective shield over his face with her nose. He wordlessly obeyed, lifting it up for her. He smashed his lips against hers, hungrily, slipping his tongue into the confines of her mouth and began to knead the pert flesh of her ass. They pulled back, gasping for air, and she smiled again.

"What's your name?"

"What's it to you?" He shot back, running his hand down her thigh to wrap her leg around his waist and grind his hardened arousal between her thighs.

"Well… I don't like fucking guys unless I can _scream_ their name." She raised a playful eyebrow at him.

"Marcus," He answered quickly, licking his lips as his eyes ravaged her wrapped breasts- almost as if they were a present meant just for him.

"_Marcus_," Janny drawled in a moan against his ear that he'd _never_ get the chance to hear again. "_**Never**__ let your guard down…_"

Lowering her leg from his waist to the back of his leg, she hooked it, smashing her forehead against his face and tightened the coil of her leg, causing him to trip backwards and land on his back. He clutched his broken nose as crimson blood oozed out between his thick fingers, shrieking in agony. She stomped on his throat for good measure and ran towards the door, picking up her combat knife as she ran. Before she could get out, though, another sharp noise ripped through the air, slamming her into the metal doorframe as a sharp pain riddled up and down the bone of her arm. She gazed down, finding a bleeding graze- just a flesh wound- on her bicep.

"Bi- _Bitch!_" Marcus seethed, completely enraged as he was rolled onto his stomach with his silenced pistol in his clutches, aimlessly shooting off more rounds.

Marcus had missed Janny after the first hit and she took off down the hallway. He quickly scrambled to his feet and gave chase, hand buried into a pocket on his belt to retrieve rounds to feed his gun as he ran after her. She turned a corner and so did he, practically skidding into the wall before recollecting himself and continuing with the chase.

Lungs and injury burning, legs numb, and breathing becoming harder and harder to do the farther she ran, she didn't know if she could keep up for much longer. He would catch her and kill her, and it would _all_ be over! Pinkerton would have died in vain, she wouldn't have found out who knew Harkness' secret, she wouldn't find out the mystery behind Seagrave's trunk, she wouldn't-

"_Can't I come with you? Don't go in alone!"_

Janny closed her eyes, fighting back the sting of tears and the ache of her legs as she forced herself to take off even faster down the hallway. She told Bryan she'd come back- she _promised_ she'd come back to him, and she wouldn't let him down when he had so much trust and faith in her… _Not_ right when she finally returned to him, after ten years.

She was the _Lone Wanderer_, for Christ's sake! She's taken down hordes of Super Mutants singlehandedly, cleared out the nesting grounds of Yao Guai and Deathclaws, hero to the innocent and a freaking nightmare on _legs_ for the evil! Some petty security guard couldn't and _wouldn't _take her down!

With renewed energy and pure will coursing through her veins, she charged on ahead, lashing her blade out at a thick pipe that lined the wall. As she ran, the blade sliced through the pipe, releasing obnoxious fumes into the air. Marcus turned into the hallway just as she turned the corner to find cover.

"Where _are you_, you sick little _whore?_" He taunted mockingly, cautiously stepping down the hallway as he finished loading up his weapon. "Come out, come out, wherever you _areee!_"

Janny had her back pressed to the outer doorway around the corner, panting heavily and trying desperately to calm her rapidly beating heart and to keep from making _any_ noise. Chewing on her lip, she knew she had to find _some_ way to make the guard fire his weapon…

She jumped into the doorway with her legs spread apart in a braced position, journal tucked into the band of her boy shorts as she stared him down with a toothy smirk on her face.

"_There_ you are!" He called, brows furrowing and his lips turning up into a sneer as he aimed his weapon at her head, blood still running from his nose. "You ready to surrender?"

"No, I don't believe so," She replied, fingering her blade timidly. "Are you ready to die?"

"The _fuck_ kinda question is that?" He laughed boisterously. "No, I ain't _fucking_ dying!"

"Are you quite sure of that, Marcus?" She asked, tightening her grip on her combat knife handle.

"I'm fucking sure, bitch, like I'm sure that the only one dying here is _you._" He grimaced. "Stop playin' twenty-_fucking-_questions!"

Janny's eyes widened in horror and her body began to shake as she pointed past him.

"Mi- Mirelurk Hunter!" She exclaimed.

Marcus whipped around on his heel to attack the "threat", which was a distraction Janny had roused to keep him occupied. With a skilled outward flick of her wrist, she flung her combat knife at him, watching it sink into the flesh of his calf.

"_**Fuck!**_" He cried out as he fell onto his side, snapping his head back with a snarl on his lips as he aimed and fired repeatedly.

Janny lunged out of the way, rolling into a corridor full of water and trash as an explosion bellowed from the mouth of the hallway behind her, flames licking at the ceiling with a _**BOOM **_following. She cradled her head in her hands, protecting her ears from the noise of the blast and her face from whatever shrapnel may have been caused from the explosion. She heard a loud _clang_ behind her, followed by the skidding of metal on metal. When she peeked out from between the folds of her arms, a 10mm silenced pistol was sizzling in the water at her side. She slowly sat up with her legs crooked at each of her sides, gawking down at the gun peculiarly and then glanced over her shoulder, watching the flames dance in the hallway.

She sighed, relieved that the chase was finally over before realizing that her busy day was still _very_ far from over. She had to find who this mysterious visitor was that came to Pinkerton for answers (_maybe he was the one who sent the "hitman," Marcus?_) and how Seagrave seemed to be tied into the entire thing. She still had to get a hold of his belongings, too (_finding his computer is top priority right now_), go over his medical files, get the toolbox key from Vera, speak with Harkness… She also had to confront Zimmer. She had to figure out the motive this illusive informant had for giving up valuable information about Harkness (_from what Horace said, this person obviously knows Harkness' identity..._) but not completely divulging everything.

So many questions buzzed in her head- so many things to do; so many suspicions, speculations, _accusations,_ but no evidence to back any of it up with solid support. She had nothing- _nothing at __**all…**_

Was she fighting a losing battle?

Janny laid back on the watered floor, closing her eyes to rest for a little and collect her thoughts with her thumb leafing through the ripped and wrinkled pages of Pinkerton's worn journal on her stomach absentmindedly.


	12. Hitman For Hire :: DAY 3

**A/N: HEY READERS! Welcome to another chapter of Saving Me! :D**

**A few things before you get to reading- if you have been following my story A Trial of Risk and Fall, it will NOT be updated today. The chapter is not finished yet because I have been quite busy! Well, it IS finished, it just needs a little bit of tweaking because I'm not happy enough with it to actually POST it =w= Sorry guys!**

**Another thing- I have a poll on my profile that I would like my readers to vote in! It's simple, really. My story Another War For Your Textbooks will be hitting the 100 reviews mark soon, and in celebration I wanted to post a story for you guys! But there's a little issue I have right now- I have several stories that I would like to post for the 100 reviews celebration, but I don't know which one to post. The poll will give you, as the reader, the chance to make this decision for me! So go and vote on which story you would like to be posted :D**

**Thanks for your time, guys! You're awesome- _really._**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: Hit Man For Hire<strong>

_**Day Three**_

Bryan stared down at the plasma rifle perched in his lap. He marveled at how perfect it looked, glowing eerily green but feeling so natural- it was a beautiful weapon indeed. It had scuff marks here and there, but other than that, it seemed that Janny was right- it looked loyal and in otherwise perfect condition. Not that he really _knew_ what a perfect condition weapon looked like- he never really was into guns. His dad tried to teach him how to shoot once, but he couldn't get into it… He didn't like the idea of ending another's life- whether it was self-defense or just because. He couldn't even bring himself to kill a _b__loatfly_. He couldn't stomach the thought.

Bryan glanced down to her discarded clothing, and his calloused fingers ran over the chocolate brown leather long coat she seemed to like wearing. It felt smooth against his hand, and if he imagined hard enough, it was almost as warm as Janny- as if she were actually wearing it right now, and it wasn't just an empty article of clothing in his lap.

Suddenly, a 10mm pistol with a strange part on the front was tossed into his lap, and he'd be lying if he said that he _didn't_ jump and almost scream like a girl. He looked up to see Janny standing in front of him, dripping wet and quivering from the cold with goose bumps swelling on her skin, panting heavily with thin, shallow scratches and cuts on her legs and arms and a clotting graze on her bicep- to her, it probably all would just have been more battle scars, but to him, it was _horrifying._

"Janny!" He exclaimed, jumping up and accidentally knocking all of her belongings out of his lap. "What _happened_ to you?"

"Got chased-" She partially answered through her panting, hunching onto her knees as if it would help. "By a se-security guy… _Marcus,_ his name wa- was… Blew him all the way to China," She finally finished, wiping the water that dripped off her brow and squeezed any excess from her hair.

"_Chi- China?... **What?"**_Bryan shook his head- he didn't know where China was, or _what _China was, either. He quickly leaned over and grabbed her leather duster from the ground to brush any dirt off of it. "Wait- a _Rivet City_ security guard followed you into the bow?" He asked with wide eyes of shock.

"Yeah," She nodded, looking down at the bleeding graze on her shoulder with indifference. "Well, looks like I have a chance to visit your doctor for antibiotics… Want to make sure this doesn't get infected or something."

Bryan recalled the security guard that was speaking to Lucky Harith before he dozed off... He had seen him patrolling about the marketplace from time to time too, or strolling up and down the hallway where the Weatherly Hotel resided, but he thought nothing of it. He simply thought that the guard was out to talk to Lucky Harith who stood out front, or something, because most of the guards did that…

"Janny…" He murmured, stepping towards her with her duster in his arms. He opened it and draped it around her shivering shoulders. "What- What _happened_ in there?..."

"I found Pinkerton." She held up an old book with a decrepit leather-bound cover- which was slightly wet- ad tugged the duster all the way aroud her. "He answered most of my questions before the guard murdered him. He then turned on me and I- erm…" She looked away, a shameful blush overcoming her cheeks. "_And_ I had to distract him so I could get away…"

Bryan noted how red her cheeks were, and all he thought was how beautiful she looked- like a shy, blushing schoolgirl.

"Anyways, I _did_ manage to get away, but he followed me. I opened up a gas pipe, and it caused an explosion. The blast killed him, and I made my way back here- _to you_." She smiled tiredly. "I promised you that I'd come back, right?"

He enveloped her in a tight hug, which made her wince, and he closed his eyes while sighing with relief.

"You _did_ say that- but you didn't come back unharmed…" He muttered. "I was _really _worried abou you Janny- don't scare me like that _ever _again, okay?"

"Bry- Bryan…" She murmured into his chest, pulling back to look up at him with the blush still on her cheeks.

"Ye- Yeah?" He asked quietly, feeling his heart race faster and faster, almost as if it were to burst at any second. But then, Janny smiled kindly up at him, and he could have _sworn_ that it just stopped right then and there in his chest.

"Let's get back to Rivet City. I would like to shower- I smell like gunpowder, lakewater and sweat."

"Su- Sure!" He replied awkwardly, helping her pick up her things. He kept an arm around her shoulders to keep her a warm as he could as they returned to Rivet City, laughing and talking like old buddies about this and that as a pair and a half of watching eyes gazed down from the flight deck.

"_Bannon…_" Rogue snarled, spinning around to glare angrily at the smaller man, and he pointed down to Janny below as he boomed; "_What was __**that?**_"

"I- I don't know, Rogue!" He cried, backing away slightly. "She must have escaped the guard I sent after her!"

"It was _pathetic_ is what it was!" He boomed, red in the face and he glared back down at Janny. "I knew that harlot was up to no good… She was down in the bow for a _reason_, and now, she's roaming free as a threat to everything I've worked for because your sorry excuse of a guard wasn't able to complete his mission properly!"

"We- We'll send someone else! Someone who's more _skilled!_ You must _remember_ that Janny has spent many years exploring the Capital Wasteland, she must know all of it like she had her very own map!"

"Then you best find someone who knows this hell on Earth like the back of his _own_ hand because my patience is dwindling at an alarming rate, Bannon!" He warned grimly with a deep scowl, looking back at him. "What if she found out everything she needed to from that hack scientist, Pinkerton? What if he told her _everything?_ If she is as strong as you say she is, than my wrath will be the _least_ of _your_ problems if she plans on confronting you!"

"You directed that I did not kill Pinkerton when I went to ask him about Harkness! I had demanded that I tied up any loose ends, but you refused my request!"

"That is because I did not _know_ that a mere woman would come and tear down all the progress I have made on this lousy ship!" Rogue barked, rubbing the hollow of his patched eye and he sighed with irritation, attempting to calm his flaring anger. "She is a threat to my armies… She is a threat to _everything_ I have worked for and amounted to…" He murmured to himself.

"Rogue?" Bannon called, hard of hearing. "What do we do now?"

"_We?_" Rogue laughed boisterously. "No, Bannon, not _we_- what are _you_ going to do now that your guard has failed?"

"Are- Are you _implying_ that I take matters into my own hands?"

"You did it once with that secretive little _prick_ Seagrave, and I am certain that you may do it again with a nosey little girl. But now that I think about it, in this case, I'm _not _suggesting that you take this into your own hands because you have deemed yourself as useless to me... You mentioned that we need someone who is skilled to do away with her, correct? You wouldn't be able to last a day out in the Wastes… We need someone who can survive hell and back as if it were a damn merry picnic." He grinned from ear to ear, looking down upon the bridge. "And I know _just_ the man for the job…"

"Who, Rogue?" He asked with a cock of his head curiously.

"Scully- a fine soldier in high ranks…" He stroked his two-toned beard, glorious thoughts of victory roaming in his head.

Bannon's eyes snapped wide open, and he clutched his chest as if it were about to burst out and his heart would run away from him.

"A- A _soldier?_" He strode towards Rogue. "You're bringing in a _soldier?_ Won't the people of Rivet City become suspicious? Won't _Janny _become suspicious?"

"No." Rogue stared him down with his good eye, piercing into his very soul. "Scully will be an undercover operative… Try and find out what she knows- make her believe that he is a friend, and not an enemy. Scully is not only skilled in battle, he understands how people react, think, and _work._ It makes him one of our most highly valued operatives- and he is the _craziest_ sonofabitch I have ever seen in my days… Believe me, Bannon. I've seen _many_ in my line of work."

"I- I can't allow this!" Bannon shook his head. "A trained psychopathic _killer_ on _my_ ship? I _won't_ allow it!"

Rogue laughed to the heavens, throaty and deep, tormenting almost with his head thrown back.

"This is _our_ ship now- and the sooner you realize that, the better. These are not just _your_ people, these people are _our_ people, now. This will all soon be under complete control of_** us**_, and then-?..."

"And- And _then?..._" He was almost afraid to ask, and he swallowed hard to show his discomfort even further.

"Then all of this will become _mine_, of course." He laughed again, shaking his head. "Oh, yes! Scully will do the job quite _nicely…_"

Upon the words "_Then all of this will become __**mine,**__"_ A chill spread through Bannon's body like wild fire- and it made him shudder unpleasantly. It was then that he began to question Rogue's leadership and his promises once again, but it was the _first_ time he worried that he had put his city under a strong enemy's wrath.

_What have I done?..._


	13. A Heated Argument :: DAY 3

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope you're up bright and early this Saturday morning because I am up MUCH earlier than I would have liked to be :D! Yay!**

**Anyways- I decided that because I was up so early, I'd get posting done instead of doing it later on tonight. I'm out on the road with the family, and with all the driving around we've done I've had enough time to clean up chapters and whatnot for an early morning post.**

**For those of you watching Back in the Black Bayou, a new chapter will not be posted until the 27th of this month (Tuesday) so a full week can pass before the new chapter. Sorry for any of you who were looking forward to a posting of that story today!**

**But all that aside- here's the new chapter for Saving Me- and I hope you enjoy :D**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen: A Heated Argument<strong>

_**Day Three**_

Janny was sitting on the edge of her bed in nothing but a long shirt that reached her mid-thigh and her boy shorts, ruffling her damp hair with a clean towel. She took a nice, long, _hot_ shower- but she was still thawing out from her freezing swim to Pinkerton when there was a knock at her door. She snapped her head up.

"Come on in, Harkness. The door's open!" She called, still drying her hair.

The door creaked open, and the commander's head popped in. "You know, if I were a threat, I could have _easily_ come in and strangled you in your sleep."

"Then it's a good thing that you're not a threat, and that I'm not asleep." She shot back playfully, motioning for him to sit at the desk. "There's a lot that I need to tell you about Horace-"

"Wait- he's still _alive?_" He asked in a shrill tone of disbelief, and he slapped his hand to his forehead. "I don't believe it…"

"He _was_ alive…" She answered quietly, wrapping her towel over her shoulders and stared at him. "Horace Pinkerton is now dead."

"Wha- _**What?**_" He boomed, plopping down at the desk chair with shock, and he stared straight into her eyes. "You- Jan you _killed_ him? You were only supposed to get information and get out!"

"I got what I could before one of your _security guards_ came in and shot his head _clean off!_" She exclaimed. "The guard then turned on me and chased me around the bow, trying to kill me! But before he died, he-…" She nodded to the worn leather journal on the desk behind him. "He gave me that."

Harkness turned over his shoulder to look at it. He picked it up with a cautious hand and held it in his lap, thumbing through the pages.

"This- This is-?..."

Janny nodded. "That's his journal. It contains all the codes he could obtain from you when he performed the mind sweep. I read through it a bit- found some interesting stuff…" She smiled a little.

"Like?" He asked curiously, but once turning his head up to look at her, he froze the moment he saw her mischievous smile. "Wha- What is _that_ look for?" He asked in a worried tone.

"Commence code Blue-7231X," She recited, and Harkness immediately punched himself in the face.

"_Ow!_" He exclaimed, dropping the book on the ground and rubbed his nose. "What the hell was _that_ for?" He punched himself in the face again- a nasty right hook to his jaw.

"Oh- sorry, wrong code…" She picked up the journal and flipped through it, scratching her damp curls, smiling when she found the code. "I meant to use the "entertainment" code… That was the "self punishment" code. Oh well," She shrugged. "Either way, it's quite entertaining to me!"

"_Janny,_" He growled menacingly, punching himself in the gut this time.

"_Harkness_," She shot back in a sweet voice. "Abort code Blue-7231X, commence code Blue-2713X."

Harkness stopped punching himself in the face and _immediately_ began belting out the song "Butcher Pete" with a twitch in his neck, glaring at her angrily.

"Hmn, you're not a bad singer," She smiled. "_That's_ the "entertainment" code… Abort code Blue-2713X."

He stopped singing, changing it up to growling at her like a rabid, angry dog instead.

"Commence code Omega Red-A6-_Janny._"

Harkness' eyes flashed an intense, neon blue color before fading away and he blinked, looking down at his hands and rolling his fingers curiously.

"What- What was _that_ code for? And why does it have your name in it?" He asked, looking back up at her, still rolling his fingers and flexing his hands.

"It's a code that keeps you from harming a specific target," She smiled. "Like I mentioned, it's a good thing that you're not a threat and that I'm not asleep."

"Wait, so- you used a code that would keep me from hurting you?" He furrowed his brows together. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"Well, not just hurting, but potentially killing." Janny replied, nodding down to the book. "Plus, I plan on having a _lot_ of fun with these codes," She smiled playfully. "And I can't have you trying to knock my block off for a bit of good fun."

He sighed, slapping his hand against his forehead again. "I give up… Just- _please_ stop using the codes?"

She giggled, closing the journal and nodded. "Only because you asked _nicely_."

He growled at her once again, folding his arms over his chest as he plopped back down in his seat.

"So what else did you find out from Pinkerton before he died?"

Janny frowned, running her fingers through her damp hair. "You're not going to like it…"

"Just _tell_ me- no good is going to come from keeping it to yourself."

She chewed on her lower lip, eyes connecting with his. "Someone on the ship knows a few of your codes… and I have reason to believe that whoever knows them is either working with or _for_ Zimmer, and might even be the person who told Zimmer to return and continue his search for you."

"Are you fucking _serious?"_ He roared dubiously, holding his head in his hands. "How does this person know my codes? Did Pinkerton-?"

Janny nodded. "He did… They had a gun against his head! He was afraid, Harkness! But he _only_ told him the codes that he asked for- such things as a self-destruct sequence or combat trigger words, complete and utter loyalty, which is similar to a type of brainwashing…" Her voice trailed off, then was cut off by the frightened commander.

"Wait- _self__**-destruct?**_" He cried fearfully. "_I can __**explode?**_"

"_Shhh!_" She murmured sharply, bringing a finger to her lips. "Would you mind saying that a little _louder?_ I don't think the _whole_ ship heard you!"

"Pinkerton just _had _to log down these codes…" He pursed his lips together tightly. "Did he tell you who this person was?"

"Said it was a man by the name of Banner or Brandy… He couldn't quite remember, but-"

"But don't the names he gave sound a _bit_ like Bannon?" He questioned, looking up at her.

"That's what I was thinking," She frowned, brows furrowing together as she looked up at him. "Horace said that he was with another man. He could have ordered someone on the security team to escort him to Horace as protection from the Mirelurks down there- and if he ordered _another _guard to come and find out what I was up to, maybe even _kill_ me-?..."

"If _that's_ the case, Bannon is on the city council above me so he can easily direct the security guards without one _single_ complaint, and then order them to keep quiet." Harkness stared down in his hands. "The boys respect me, so does Lana, but I know it's nothing personal… It's just the job… They don't listen to me much anymore, Jan. Not since Madison left and Rogue took her place three years ago."

"Three years ago?" She furrowed her brows together. "But- hasn't Dr. Li been gone for almost _nine _years?"

He nodded. "Yeah, jumped on the bandwagon with you and your father for Project Purity."

Janny looked away, chewing on her lip and closed her eyes with a sigh. "Don't remind me…"

"I heard about the mess that happened there with the Enclave, a little after the last time I saw you. I- I'm sorry, Jan… About your fath-"

"_Don't._" She pleaded sternly, looking back at him with her eyes watering slightly. "I don't want to hear anymore apologies… I- I can't, Harkness…"

His brows furrowed together, but he nodded in understanding. "Okay."

"Anyways," She exhaled deeply to calm herself. "Why such a big gap between Li leaving and Rogue getting on the council? Has he not been here that long?"

"He settled in Rivet City about seven or eight years ago, only a few months after Madison left. At the time, Seagrave had replaced her- much to Bannon's dismay. When Seagrave died, Rogue practically pounced on the chance, and Bannon wasn't against it, he said it was a _great_ idea- he believed that load of Brahmin shit about Rogue being able to clean this place up. I was skeptical, but I kept my mouth shut…" He rubbed his eyes, as if he had suddenly grown tired. "I should have said _something_… I should have known before the shit hit the fan, Jan."

"You didn't know, Harkness." Janny got up and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, leaning down slightly so they were at eye-level with one another. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

"Yeah…" He snorted, smiling a little and looked up at her. "_You _made me do that to myself enough already. Didn't know I could punch that hard…" He murmured to himself, chuckling a little and shaking his head.

Janny laughed as well, sitting on the desk at his side and he turned around to face her.

"What else did you find out?"

"He asked Horace a bit about his handiwork on you. Bannon claimed that he was familiar with his work, and asked if he could really do facial reconstruction on a human. Horace said he could- I would know," She frowned. "He asked if I wanted a nose job."

Harkness snorted and she slapped his arm, covering her nose with her other hand.

"That's not funny! There's nothing wrong with my nose!" She exclaimed with a slightly embarrassed blush coming over her cheeks.

"You're right, your nose is fine- I just think its damn funny." He started laughing.

"_Commence_ _code Blue-7231X._" She snarled in a low tone, removing her hand from her nose.

Harkness punched himself in the jaw again. "_**Ow!**_"

"Abort code Blue-7231X. Bannon then asked if Horace would be able to do a mind swipe as well- but, get _this_- he asked if he were able to perform a mind sweep on a _human_."

"A human?" He rubbed the side of his aching jaw. "Why would Bannon ask that?"

Janny shook her head, folding her arms over her stomach. "I don't know, Harkness… I don't think it would be for himself, or he would have made it clear that he wanted a mind swipe done. Horace had lied and said no, that he would only be able to do one on an android as their AI _is_ complex, but not as complex as the human brain is."

"Why would Pinkerton lie to him?"

"He claimed that he didn't like the "vibes" he was picking up from Bannon- he felt that he was bad news, so he lied, thinking that it would do some good. _That_ was when he pulled a gun on him and demanded some of your codes. What concerns me more is _how_ Bannon knows that you're an android."

"Maybe Pinkerton told him," He scoffed. "The bastard told him everything _else…_"

"No, he didn't. Horace made it sound like Bannon had knowledge of your true identity previous to speaking with him. The first words out of Bannon's mouth was an explanation of how he _already _knew that you are an android, and he asked Horace about his work on you."

"It doesn't tell us how he knows or who told him,"

"But it _does_ tell us who _didn't_ tell him, and it tells us who _isn't_ working for Zimmer to find you."

"I _know_ it's Bannon, Jan! He's working for Zimmer to get to me," Harkness jumped up from his chair and strode over to her. "We need to get him while we still have the chance."

"Think about it, Harkness!" Janny jumped up as well in front of him, and they were so close to one another that their chests almost touched. "What would happen if someone questioned your motives for arresting Bannon? You don't have any evidence, no proof- all you have is the word of a scientist that _everyone_ believed to have died a very long time ago. All we have is a gut feeling and a vague suspicion… We need _more_ against him. Besides, you can't arrest a man for working with an arrogant prick like Zimmer. And what if whoever's doing this is someone we don't even _know?_"

"What if it _is _Bannon, and he plans on using these codes on me? He could _kill_ me, Jan!"

"I know, _I know!_ But we need to think this _through!_ We can't just rush in head-on without being firmly aware of the enemy we're fighting! Look," She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Horace, he-… He told me that Bannon left after getting all the information he needed- he said something about visiting Seagrave."

"When- When was Bannon down there?"

"I don't know- he said a while ago but did not specify the time."

"I don't see why he'd feel the need to visit Seagrave if they hated each other, and quite frankly, _I don't care!_ We need to _move _before he plans to use these codes on me! If he does, the whole _ship _could be in danger!"

"_We_ don't have a choice, Harkness!" She cried, grasping his arms to get him to calm down. "We _can't_ let something like this just traipse up and down the halls until we know for _sure_. What if we're wrong, and it isn't Bannon, for example? What if we're wrong, and this just creates a giant panic with everyone in the city?"

"_What if we're __**right**__ and he gets __**away,**__ Janny?_" He roared at her, causing her to stumble back a bit with surprise. "_What if he kills me? What if he sends another guard to kill __**you?**_"

"He _won't_ get away, and he _won't_ kill me, I promise you!" She replied, her breathing tightening her chest. She had seen Harkness angry before, but not _this_ angry!

"A promise like that means _nothing!_ Don't make a fucking promise if you can't keep it, Janny! You're the Lone Wanderer, you're supposed to be a fucking _savior _to these people, and you're going to _abandon _them?"

"I am _not_ the "Lone Wanderer" anymore, Harkness! Everyone in Rivet City only hears stories about me, anyways- and as far as everyone else is concerned, the Lone Wanderer is _dead!_ You can't drag a lost hero into this!"

"_You're just fucking __**scared! **__And if you're not going to help me nail this sonofabitch, then I'll do it __**myself!**_" He roared as he stomped towards the door, ripping it open and striding out. It caused the mirror to slide off the wall and smash on the floor, sliding sharp fragments across the scuffed metal in all directions.

"Ha- Harkness! Harkness, get_ back_ here!" Janny cried, evading the sharp glass on the floor as she ran out into the hallway and stared at his retreating back. "_Where are you __**going?**_ We still need to talk things over!"

"Well I'm _done _talking, and my lunch break is over!" He called back over his shoulder snidely, fists rolled at his sides and he turned the corner, disappearing from her sight.

Janny sighed in disbelief, confusion, and anger- shoulders trembling and she ran quivering fingers through her hair with the tears coming to her eyes. She bit down on her lip to keep them from coming, hearing the murmured usherings of some of the people of Rivet City who had watched what happened. It didn't look like a pretty sight- her standing in the hallway, not exactly looking decent in nothing but a long top and her boy shorts, and looking like she was about to start crying as Harkness stomped off. It was practically the _breeding_ ground for new rumors.

With an aggravated huff, she closed her door and locked it, turning and striding down the hall to the Weatherly Hotel while shoving people out of her way. She'd have to ask for a dustpan and a broom so she could clean up the mess Harkness had made.

She was so tempted to use his codes against him out of spite, but she decided to take the high road and not breathe a word of them. They were good friends, and even good friends got into heated arguments once in a while. The angry winds would blow over in a day or two, they'd apologize to each other, and they'd return to their friendship as if nothing ever happened.


	14. Secrets :: DAY 3

**A/N: Hey guys. First things first- I am REALLY sorry for not posting the new chapter of Back in the Black Bayou  on Tuesday like I promised, and the reason why I'm only posting Saving Me today is because my life is in a chaotic upheaval right now and shit needs to calm down... Again, I apologize for not posting all the other chapters if you are a reader who is following all my other ongoing stories as well. Hopefully things will begin to calm down and I will be able to get back into the daily grind. I think that I just need a few days off or something... Can't promise new chapters next Saturday- but I can promise I'll try to update by then. If you're lucky, and I get out of my weirdo funk, you'll get an early chapter posting as an "I'm sorry, readers!" gift.**

**My apologies once more. If you have any questions, let me know. If you have any complaints about the information given, also let me know.**

**Thanks for those of you who are reading 3**

**Happy reading, happy writing**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

**(P.S.: Also, check out my profile. Soon I'm going to pull up a list of any and ALL fanfictions I wish to write- oneshot or otherwise. Why don't you look up whether or not I'm gonna do something you'd be interested in? :D)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen: Secrets<strong>

_**Day Three**_

"Th- Thanks, Bryan." Janny murmured from the spot on her bed where she sat cross-legged, fiddling with her Pip-Boy in her lap. "I'm sorry I made such a mess..."

"No problem," Bryan replied from his knelt position on the floor, sweeping up the shards of glass into his dustpan with a brush. "It's not the _worst_ thing I've had to clean up in this place!"

She chuckled with him, brushing her hair back with a trembling hand and long, quivering fingers. She looked restless and unnerved- disturbed and otherwise giving off a sense of frustration. _Everyone_ who was in the hallway at the time had heard that she and Harkness had gotten into a _very_ heated argument. Some people said that the two were having a lover's spat when it got too far and Janny broke the mirror, causing Harkness to storm out. Others said the two were having a lover's spat when Harkness broke the mirror out of anger and stormed out. And _more _Rivet City settlers said that it was just two lover's getting hot and heavy when the mirror broke.

Either way, every scenario Bryan heard had something to do with two _lovers_. He knew better than to believe the things that fly down the halls of Rivet City- the people had mouths as big as the ship, and they weren't afraid to show it off, either, as if it were something to be proud of. Bryan knew the best way to clear the whole thing up was by asking, but the moment she closed the door and he saw how mortified she was, he couldn't help but feel a deep ache blossom in his chest, and all his intentions of asking flew out the nearest porthole no sooner than he could blink.

Bryan didn't want to hurt her anymore than whatever damage was done between her and Harkness in their argument, so he quickly finished cleaning up and got to his feet with a slight groan, rolling the stiffness from his neck and upper back from having to hunch over.

"Well, that should be it for all the big pieces. I'm gonna go back to the hotel and get a rag- just a quick wipe down to get all the smaller..." His voice trailed off as he stared down at Janny's shaking form. She looked so upset and detached- like she wasn't even here, with him.

"..._Pieces._" He finished quietly, and her head snapped up to him as she offered a halfhearted attempt at a smile.

"I- I'm sorry, what did you say?" She rubbed her eyes as if she were tired. "I spaced out... Thinking too much," She explained quietly.

Bryan gave her a quick look over, finding no fresh wounds or cuts other than the ones that she had received earlier that day in the bow. Just because she wasn't hurt physically, didn't mean that she wasn't hurt emotionally.

"Did he hurt 'ya, Janny?" He asked in a low voice. She immediately shook her head.

"No, he didn't hit me or anything..."

"I mean did he say something that hurt your feelings," He explained, putting the dustpan and brush down on her desk and walked to where she sat on the edge of the bed. "Did he say something hurtful?"

She chuckled a little at his question as if it was absurd and she rubbed her eyes again, shaking her head once more.

"No. I just don't like getting into arguments like that with friends, is all." Janny answered, looking up at him with that usually kind smile looking fractured and gloomy.

"Is that _really_ all?" Bryan murmured quietly, sitting down on the bed at her side, causing it to bow so she became closer to him. "You just look really upset."

"Are you worried about me, Bryan?..." She asked in a quiet tone, quivering like frayed silk, and the faint phantom of a genuine smile passed over her full lips.

"Of course I'm worried…" He replied, smiling down at her a little. He wanted to rub her back, and tell her that it would be okay and that she was safe. With him.

Bryan immediately felt like a little boy with a crush on his teacher, and when Janny looked up at him, he could feel his heart racing in his chest- right then and there, he wanted to do nothing more than melt into her welcoming arms, like he did when he was younger… Like he did when he needed her all those years ago when he was frightened and very much alone.

But did he still need her now? Now that he was eighteen years old and he didn't have any monsters for her to get rid of for him? Did _she_ need him? Did she _ever_ need him?

Was she ever frightened and alone like he was?...

Janny sighed again, breaking his thoughts and she ran her fingers through her hair, still staring up at him with those bright, wide eyes and that luscious smile that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Bryan…" She murmured, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes, and she smiled more. "I still can't believe that you're all grown up now. It feels so strange, coming back and expecting a little boy to only be greeted by a fully grown man." She laughed sadly.

The statement only reminded him that she was quite a bit older than he was- that whatever he felt for her (as confusing as it was) was wrong, and it only made him feel like a little boy with a broken heart as his beautiful teacher went gallivanting off with a man her _age-_ the way it was _supposed_ to be.

Maybe the gossipers in the hall were right, and she _was_ with Harkness, and she probably didn't want to tell him because she knew it would hurt him… Maybe _that_ was the way it was supposed to be.

_Someone her age…_ His mind echoed sadly.

"I- I should fi-finish..." His voice trailed off as he stared into her eyes, momentarily getting lost in their blue haze and he cleared his throat. "My- My job…"

"Right," Janny continued to smile sadly, leaning away from him as he got up. "You know where I'll be."

"Ye- Yeah…" Bryan murmured as he grabbed the dustpan and brush and forced himself to calmly walk out of the room rather than dart out like his legs wanted to do. Once outside he breathed in deeply, trying to stifle the cries of his aching heart as he entered the Weatherly Hotel.

"How bad is the damage, Bryan?" Aunt Vera asked as she looked up from her place behind the terminal as he dumped the glass into a nearby trash bin.

"Can't fix the mirror, but the frame is just fine. We can see 'bout someone replacing the glass." He answered as he put the dustpan and brush away in the back room, returning with a rag. "Want me to bring back the frame so you can look at it?"

"Yeah," She smiled playfully. "Maybe with Seagrave's old toolbox I can fix it up myself, huh?"

"_Was there anything… __**Peculiar**__, in the toolbox? Like a letter, or a key? Anything that shouldn't be in a toolbox?"_

Janny's words echoed into his mind from earlier that day. Come to think of it, Janny had been really _specific_ about the whole thing- asking about a letter or key or whatever… He wouldn't have thought twice about it if Aunt Vera hadn't found a key in it in the first place. The question was a little strange, but it seemed that she was looking for keys from Seagrave or something…

"Uhm- Aunt Vera?" He asked, stopping at the side of the lobby desk, still holding the dry rag in both of his hands. "Do you remember the key we found in the toolbox we got at Seagrave's auction?"

"Mhmm," She nodded, raising an eyebrow at him curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…" He tried thinking of a good reason- a _lie,_ more specifically. He couldn't flat out say it was for Janny, his aunt would get suspicious.

"Well… _what?_" She asked with a slight smile.

"I- I found this box," He replied quickly, kicking himself for not thinking of a better lie. "It's locked, and I'm hoping the key might open it."

"Oh _really_ now?" She laughed. "My, my, even when you were younger you were curious about the smallest things! If you wanna ask for permission to borrow it, you don't need to." She turned back to the work on her terminal, nimble fingers working at the clacking keyboard. "You know where the toolbox is."

Bryan nodded, quickly thanking his aunt and went to the back room. As he wet his rag in the sink to finish cleaning up the broken mirror mess in Janny's room, he opened the toolbox and shuffled through it to find the key still in the bottom. It was brass-looking, and it had dents and nicks all over it. It looked quite worn and like it had gotten thorough usage out of it. He slipped it into his pants pocket and turned back to the sink, turning it off and wringing his rag out before darting out from the hotel lobby and returned to Janny's room, knocking on the door.

"Come in, Bryan!" Janny called.

_How did she know it was me?_ He wondered as he pushed her door open and stepped in, careful not to trip over the high doorframe like he did sometimes and stopped when he saw an elderly woman with short, wispy grey curls framing a narrow, heavily wrinkled face. She was tall, thin, and frail, much resembling a pipe to him. She wore a nice blue dress with a white doctor's coat over it and simple black shoes with a low heel. She fixed the reading glasses on her nose when she looked up and met his gaze.

It was Dr. Mayfield- the woman who replaced Dr. Preston when he left for Tenpenny Towers a few years back. Some people made jokes that after the bombs fell, only two things survived it- radroaches and Dr. Mayfield. Bryan didn't get the joke because Dr. Mayfield wasn't a ghoul.

"Ah, Bryan," She greeted in an impassive and otherwise drowsy tone and fixed her glasses once more, taking them off to clean them on the edge of her lab coat. "Haven't seen you around for a while- I expect you to be in my office soon for a checkup?" She put her glasses back on her nose.

Bryan gave low, wry laughter- he didn't like doctors with cold hands and cold tools and cold eyes, it freaked him out more than blood and needles did.

"Of course he will," Janny commented before he could, smiling at the dinosaur of a doctor. "He will be in to see you soon- I'll make _sure_ of it."

His face paled significantly and he tried to stifle an unpleasant groan as he got on his hands and knees and began giving a wipe down of the floor for the smaller shards his brush couldn't pick up.

"As a doctor, I normally don't give out patient files- strict doctor-patient confidentiality."

"I understand. My father was a doctor, a very _skilled_ doctor, I might add- and may I remind you, Dr. Mayfield that this is from one doctor to another. Seagrave's file won't leave this room, and I promise you no one else will hear about it."

_Seagrave's file?_ Bryan wondered, looking over his shoulder at the two and momentarily stopped his work. It was a ruined manila folder with the name "Holmes, Seagrave" on the tab. On the cover, it said "Medical File" in big, bold letters. _Why does Janny have his medical file? And since __**when **__was she a __**doctor?**_

"I certainly hope so, Dr. Jenkins." Mayfield nodded, placing her glasses back on her small nose. "May I ask why you requested this man's file?"

"He was a very good friend of mine, and I wanted to see if his case of red-lung got the best of him." She replied as she opened the salvaged manila folder and began leafing through the pages, a slight frown growing on her face the more pages her fingers flipped through.

"Is something the matter?" She asked, peering over the document to look down at the upside down writing.

"No, no…" She murmured, shaking her head. "Nothing at all…" She snapped the folder shut and smiled up at Mayfield, offering a polite hand. "Thank you for your cooperation. I will return the file to you before the night is out. If not, I should have it returned to you personally by the end of the week."

"I appreciate it," Mayfield responded, shaking Janny's hand before striding out and closing the door behind her.

"_Doctor_ Jenkins?" Bryan furrowed his brows together, glancing up at Janny. "Since when were you a doctor?"

"I have enough skill, but I don't have a _license_ or anything… Hell, it's not like _anyone_ has a medical license out here," She answered innocently, bringing a lone finger to her plump lips as if she were telling him to lower his voice. "Honestly, that's not even my real last name."

"It's not?" Bryan asked with wide eyes of disbelief, getting up from the floor and leaving his rag abandoned where he worked. He didn't like all the lying Janny seemed to be doing- how secrets clung to her like a bad habit not wanting to be broken, and he didn't like feeling that she didn't trust him completely.

_Well, why should she? _He thought glumly. _We only knew each other a month or so- and I was eight then. She doesn't exactly know what type of person I am now… For all she knows, I could be like James- always getting into trouble with security and whatever._

"My last name is Brookes." She answered, going back to Seagrave's medical file to open it and flip through the pages with quick fingers, a frown coming to her face again the more she read.

"How do I know that you're not lying to me again?..." He asked in a quiet voice, eyes narrowed and focused only on her.

Janny looked up at him, blinking as a little crease came between her brows.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I feel like you don't trust me, Janny." He answered. "I feel like you _like_ having secrets and that you _like_ lying to people… You said you'd never lie to me!"

She sighed deeply, placing the file down on the desk and walked towards him, cupping a gentle hand against his jaw so he'd look down directly at her. His heart began to beat a little faster then he was comfortable with in his chest.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Bryan… I really am sorry. But the life I live out there- I _know_ how savage and brutal people can be… I know that they'd do anything to gain the upper hand. I'm doing this so no one knows who I _truly_ am- so that they can't link me back to anyone I care about."

"So you're not going to let me know who you truly are?" He asked in a quiet volume, feeling so significantly small, even with her warm touch caressing the side of his face.

She smiled up at him sadly, bringing her other hand up to the other side of his jaw, cupping it completely.

"I said I lie about who I am so no one can link me back to the people I care about- I lie so I can protect _you,_ Bryan Wilks. I lie because I really have no one else out here… No one but you and Harkness. I do _everything _that is in my power to protect what little I have left."

The thought hit him like a shovel to the face- the Capital Wasteland was a very big place, he honestly couldn't believe or even _register_ that out of all the people out there in all the towns and settlements, she only cared about him and the commander. Only _two_ people.

"Bu- But there's _gotta_ be more… What about Butch in the Muddy Rudder? You know him from where you're from, that Vault, right? You have a house in Megaton, don't you have friends there?"

Her sad smile only deepened, and she brushed her fingers up and down his cheeks, as if to soothe herself more than him. Either way, he tried to suppress a blissful coo and he tried not to give into her touch, letting his body overflow with the butterflies in his stomach or the rapid beat of his heart, he tried not to give into _her…_ This goddess of his…

"I may have grown up with Butch DeLoria, but we are _far_ from friendly. We never saw eye-to-eye as kids. Yes, I have a home in Megaton and the people are very friendly, but I do not really consider them _actual _friends- not like you and Harkness. My parents? I told you before that my father died from a severe case of radiation poisoning, and my- my mother... She died giving birth to me… Both of my parents are gone, and I'm an only child."

Bryan knew how that felt. He never knew his mother, his father always told him that she was beautiful and kind and had the voice of an angel- he only ever really said that she was a real angel now, in heaven, wherever _that_ was. His father was taken from him by fire ants when he was eight, and now he lived with his Aunt Vera while C.J. and James were his best friends. But even so, with family and friends, he still felt alone at times…

Not with Janny, though. He never felt more alive than when he was with her, just talking, making him forget about all his problems and all his worries…

Janny chuckled a little, looking up at him. "You want to know something about me?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Only a few people know I'm from the Vault. Harkness knows, some people in Megaton know, _you_ know… Madison knew, before she left for the Commonwealth- and anyone who knows of the Lone Wanderer, but a lot of people don't know it's me. They see me and the Lone Wanderer as two different people." She shook her head, glancing to her Pip-Boy on the bed. "I don't like wearing that, it feels so heavy and I feel so- so _free_ when it's not weighing me down."

"What is it, anyways?" Bryan asked as she removed her hands form his cheeks, much to his dismay, and sat on her bed to retrieve it. He followed her, sitting down next to her.

"It's called a Pip-Boy 3000." She smiled, holding it up to show him. "Everyone from a Vault has one, and I'm sure Butch still has his. Before the bombs fell, anyone who entered the Vault was given a Vault suit to wear and a Pip-Boy to use. It's useful at times, but I only wear it when I'm outside. Even then, I try to hide it as best I can with my coat."

"How come?" He cocked his head to the side.

"I'm sometimes given funny looks from people around me," She laughed timidly.

"Why? I think it's cool!" He exclaimed with a broad smile, poking at the buttons to have it beep with life, the interface turning on and glowing dimly.

"It may seem cool to you, but people who see it know I'm from the Vault, and they won't take me seriously. It's a useful advantage in some fights- being underestimated, I mean- but other than that it's not all that helpful. People will see my Pip-Boy and look at me, and see nothing but a spoiled Vaultie."

"A Vaultie?" Bryan blinked up at her. Where had he heard that term before?... Oh yeah- Three Dog used to call her that when she was out on her Lone Wanderer adventures.

Janny nodded. "Mhm. It's a nickname that stuck with me back in my earlier years."

He smiled a little, still examining the Pip-Boy like a small child, and when he looked back up at Janny, she was staring at Seagrave's document on her desk while chewing on her lip with thought.

"…You can't tell me what that's about, can you?" He asked softly, putting the Pip-Boy down in his lap. "Even though I already know it's about Seagrave's death… It's something more, isn't it?"

"I- I don't know…" She looked back at him. "It-… It's just this hunch I have. I don't know where it's taking me- whether this hunch will put me in danger or not- but I'm worried that if _you_ know, it could put you at great risk, Bryan."

"Why should you be in danger alone?" He shot back, a small smile on his face. "Why can't you have someone fighting with you?"

Janny seemed to have liked the statement, because she began smiling- _genuinely _smiling- and nodded her head.

"Listen- let me talk to, erm… A friend, for an all clear on you, okay?"

"What do you mean?" He blinked in astonishment.

"Something's going on… Something _big _that involves someone I know. I'm trying to help this person, but I don't know if this person would feel comfortable with me telling you what's going on with them."

"Someone knows what you're doing?" He asked with wide, curious eyes. "_Who?_"

She winked at him playfully, getting up from the bed with her Pip-Boy and placed it on her desk, on top of Seagrave's medical file.

"I'm the keeper of secrets, remember? But if you get the okay, you'll find out soon enough." She pointed at his rag on the floor, smiling kindly. "But for now, you still have a mess to clean up don't you?"

With a groan of disappointment, Bryan got off the bed and knelt back in his original working space, cleaning the floor once more with his mind buzzing with questions shooting faster than lightning strikes.


	15. Redrum and murdeR :: DAY 4

****A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry I've been away for so long D: Needed a break from fanfiction, you know? Hit a pretty thick brick wall for some of my Fallout 3 stories and needed a little time off to collect my thoughts and relax my mind- if I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to bring you guys some good chapters!****

****Anyways, I hope this chapter came out good 'cause a bit of angsty stuff is coming up soon! Aiyah, I need a breather -scrunches up face and pinches bridge of nose- This is mostly just a dialogue chapter- kind of a catch-up of all the information Janny has collected thus far. Thought it'd be good to have a chapter where all the information is collected so I'm not pacing through the chapters, trying to find information that I need so future chapters don't have the wrong information. If any of the information I've given in this chapter is off, conflicts with something previously said, or is confusing/vague- PLEASE let me know, point out where I need to go and I'll fix it.****

****Thanks guys, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!****

****Happy reading, happy writing!****

****~Konfessionist out!~****

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen: Redrum and murdeR<strong>

_**Day Four**_

Janny sipped at her bitter coffee at one of the tables in Gary's Galley, a thick book perched in her hand with her eyes darting over the pages like mad. She had always been a fast reader, even when she was younger. She could finish an entire book, at least 200 pages, in about an hour flat- sometimes even _faster_ than that if the book had caught her interest.

She gave an obnoxious yawn and sipped her coffee again. She didn't know why she didn't just go back to sleep if she was so tired- no one else was up yet- well, no one but Gary who was working behind the counter. He couldn't sleep so he just went down for an early morning snack. She came in as well to take another look at Seagrave's three lock trunk again when they spotted each other. To not seem suspicious, she said that she couldn't sleep either and needed to walk around to burn off the pent-up energy she had.

Janny looked up from her book momentarily, watching Gary as he groggily wiped down the counter of his little restaurant before they panned over to Seagrave's cold and empty kiosk. With a sigh, she closed the book and placed it on the table, tossing back the rest of her coffee when she spotted black armor moving her way.

In alarm, she reached for the switchblade she had hidden in her boot hem but relaxed when she saw that the black armored figure was just Harkness. She shrugged off the tenseness in her shoulders and settled back into her chair, eyes following him as he walked across the marketplace all the way to her.

"You're up early," He commented as he stopped at her table, clutching the back of the chair that sat across from her.

"So are you. I thought Lana worked this early?" She raised a brow at him inquisitively.

"She does. I just couldn't sleep…" He murmured, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Thinking too much- and I'd have to get up in a few hours for the day shift, anyhow.

"…Same." She replied with a nod. "I had trouble going to sleep and _staying _asleep… I woke up a numerous amount of times during the night."

"Mind if I sit down?"

Janny gestured to the chair across from her, signaling that it was alright and Harkness pulled it out, promptly plopping down in it as Gary scurried over to ask if he wanted anything.

"Just coffee," Harkness replied and waited till Gary left and was out of earshot till he turned back to Janny. "Look, I wanted to say I'm really sorry about overreacting like that… After I left, I thought about it a little, and I realized that you were right. I was being a prick, and I got carried away."

She smiled a little, folding her legs one over the other as she clutched her book in her lap.

"You certainly are a man of many words,"

"Knock it off, Jan…" He muttered almost pleadingly, rubbing the back of his neck again with his eyes keeping away from hers. "I'm trynna apologize here- give a man a break, I really am sorry…"

"Harkness?" She called, leaning across the table to brush his hand. "I know you are. I'm sorry too."

"You're sorry?" He asked with a slight cock of his head. "What are _you_ sorry for?"

"I thought about all this, too… It's _obvious_ that Bannon has something to do with you, and he could be the one that contacted Zimmer for whatever reason he had to do so. I don't know why I ignored it, and just swept it under the carpet… I think it was because I didn't want it to be true. Bannon is most definitely _difficult_ to get along with, but outing you like this is completely _underhanded!_"

Harkness shook his head as Gary returned with his cup of steaming instant coffee and placed it on the table, rushing back to his counter as the commander took his first sip.

"You can tell Vera I'll pay for the damages with that mirror," He directed stiffly.

"Too late- I already paid for it."

"Then I'll pay you back."

"Deal," She nodded, leaning forward in her chair and propped her elbow on the table, cradling her jaw in her upturned palm. "I was able to get my hands on Seagrave's file from Dr. Mayfield, by the way."

"You were?" He asked with wide eyes, leaning forward in his chair as well with his coffee mug sitting between his cupped hands. "_How?_"

She smiled, winking playfully. "You can call me _Doctor Jenkins._"

"Doctor Je-?" His brows furrowed together. "Isn't it _illegal_ to impersonate a doctor?"

"In the Wasteland? There are many people without any schooling that are doctors. Most of it is trial and error coupled with experience." She replied with a shrug. "Besides, I have enough medical knowledge to become a doctor if I wanted. My father was a doctor, as you know."

"Then why aren't you a doctor?"

"I said _if I wanted_."

"Touché," He smiled, nursing his coffee. "Did you find anything unusual?"

"A few things caught my eye, yeah." She frowned just as she did while she was reading the medical file.

"Uh oh, that doesn't look like a good thing…" He muttered. "Gimmie the straight skinny _Doctor Jenkins._"

Janny snorted, fingering the book in her lap. "The "straight skinny" is that Seagrave was poisoned."

"Wait- _poisoned?_ Are you _serious?_" His eyes widened, and he lowered his voice so Gary wouldn't start staring at them. "So he was _murdered?_"

"For all we know, something he ate or the source he got his water from could have been tainted- not on purpose- just from some freak thing because freak things happen in the Capital Wasteland," She pointed out.

"Then wouldn't everyone else on the ship be poisoned, too?"

"I checked in on that. I spoke with Dr. Mayfield once I had a thorough look in his file and asked for the files of anyone else who died between his death and now. There were only a few deaths, but nothing like what I found in his file because most of them were severe injuries that resulted in death, or something else. Such things as drunkards falling off the bridge and drowning, people tripping down the stairwell and hitting their heads- that sort of thing… Oh, and something about a Mirelurk attack. All strange occurrences, but they still have the high probability of happening around here."

"Damn… Then this whole ship really _is _in danger."

"Not exactly- as my search through the other medical files showed that no one _else _was poisoned. This was controlled- whoever did this only wanted Seagrave dead."

"No offense to Seagrave, but it's not exactly the way I'd off a guy- a nice round to the skull works just fine for me." Harkness shrugged.

"Unless you want to make it look like an accident or a natural cause- something similar to that." She rubbed her eyes. "And he had red-lung, which was soon to be fatal with how close he was to the final stages of it- it'd be easy to cover up poisoning him. I went through the document _at __**least **_three times thoroughly. Apparently, in the few months previous to his death, Seagrave had been experiencing headaches, vertigo, confusion, difficulty breathing, and soon enough, it was noted that he was getting weaker and weaker. Dr. Preston had attributed it to new symptoms of his severe case of red-lung and exhaustion from overworking. About a week before he died, he had also passed out in front of one of the marketplace shops- _Bannon's shop,_ actually, after he had claimed he gave Seagrave a glass of water because he looked just about ready to pass out."

"_Coincidence?_" Harkness asked with a raised eyebrow as he brought his coffee cup to his lips.

"I think not, considering Bannon and Seagrave hated each other. Seagrave would have cut his own _legs_ off rather than go anywhere near Potomac Attire." Janny shook her head, prodding at the table with a stern finger. "While Dr. Preston did his autopsy, he made several notes as he worked."

"Notes?" He lowered his cup away, not even bothering to take a sip.

"He made footnotes stating that Seagrave's skin was unnervingly pink in color- and that his mouth smelled faintly of roasted almonds. He made notes because he found it quite strange."

"How is that strange? Maybe Seagrave was out on the flight deck, enjoying a little too much sun and eating those packages of irradiated almonds that are lying all around the place," Harkness scoffed.

"The symptoms prove otherwise." She reminded him. "The headaches, the vertigo, the confusion, difficulty breathing, growing weaker and weaker by the day… Coupled by the smell of almonds on his breath and his unnatural skin color? Harkness, those are symptoms of _cyanide _poisoning at low doses."

"Cyanide poisoning?..." He ran his thick fingers through his neatly combed hair. "Wait, how do you _know_ all this?"

"Doctor Jenkins", remember?"

"Then why didn't Preston recognize any of the symptoms when he's a doctor, as well?"

"Because cyanide, even before the war, was considered a rare poisonous substance. It'd take a miracle and a half for anyone to get their hands on it nowadays, so it's understandable that Dr. Preston was not well versed in it. I just happened to catch it in an old medical textbook I have- interesting read, in all honesty…"

"Then explain to me this- how was _Bannon_ able to get this cyanide stuff if it's so hard to find?"

"I have absolutely _no_ idea… I don't doubt that it's impossible, it's just extremely difficult, and possibly even more difficult now that the radiation from the Great War has destroyed almost _everything_. He could have stumbled upon it by accident and decided to put some use into it."

"You said at low doses… What about in larger doses?" Harkness had completely abandoned his coffee, letting it grow cold in its porcelain cup in his hands. "What are the symptoms at larger doses?"

"In larger quantities, one can experience seizures, apnea, even a _coma_ before the poisoned party succumbs to cardiac arrest or even _death_ in a mere matter of _minutes._" Janny answered.

"Cardiac arrest?"

"That's what gets me…" She explained, rubbing her suddenly heavy eyes. "If Bannon wanted to kill Seagrave, why give him low doses of cyanide and drag it out?"

"Maybe he thought he could get some use out of him, or maybe he just liked watching Seagrave squirm. They never liked each other, remember?"

"Of course, of course, how could I forget?" She rolled her eyes. "A bunch of bickering schoolgirls when they were in the same room together..." She looked to the ceiling. "No disrespect to the dead, Seagrave but you _know_ I speak in all honesty." She looked back at Harkness. "I think he wanted to drag it out because everyone had their fingers pointing at one thing- his red-lung. _Anyone,_ experienced in medicine or not, would have simply chalked up all the new symptoms to his condition. They wouldn't have thought _anything _of it when he died. It, technically, would have looked like a silent passing away that was inevitable."

"Well, we got Bannon with the poison in Seagrave's room. Is that enough evidence for 'ya, Jan?" Harkness asked impatiently.

"No, it's _not_ enough, Harkness." She shook her head, folding her arms over her chest. "We finally have a clear interpretation of how Seagrave died- the cyanide poisoning led to his death. He was probably too weak to get help, and no one was around, so he died in his room when Vera came in and discovered his body when she came to deliver his meal."

"I guess it doesn't give us much if we _still _don't have anything solid against him," He groaned in frustration at the bitter realization, holding his head in his hands. "All we can prove, and even _barely,_ is that he knows I'm an android and he knows my codes- and he could be planning on doing something with them because of the nature of the codes he asked for."

"It's hardly something to nail him for," Janny raised a thoughtful brow. "Unless you want everyone on this ship to know that you're an android as well?"

"Help me figure it out, Jan." He pleaded. "How did that pompous _prick_ figure me out?"

"I wish I knew, Harkness… But there are still some things that have come to my attention as well."

"Like?"

"Like… It's _obvious _he knows that you're the android Zimmer is looking for, so why contact Zimmer and tell him that you're alive but not reveal your identity? It doesn't exactly make much _sense_ to me."

"Well neither does slowly killing Seagrave by way of cyanide poisoning instead of just doing it quick and clean. There are other ways he could have offed Seagrave and still made it look like an accident- he could have even waited till he _did _die of red-lung." He huffed. "Maybe he's a crazy bastard with a fetish for smearing peanut butter all over himself or something…"

Janny snorted with small chuckles at the image the commander had implanted in her head.

"Maybe he _couldn't _wait for Seagrave to die- maybe he just wanted him gone."

"You think so?"

"He _must _have had reason for killing Bannon, not just because they disliked each other, and there _must _be a reason as to why he's trying to indirectly help Zimmer come and find you to take you back to the Commonwealth. Either way, there's a bigger picture going on. I believe that we're still missing a few things, we only have the little details of this puzzle, and it's going to kill us if we don't _find _these missing pieces."

"I hope you don't mean literally, I'm partial to living…" Harkness murmured, finally downing the rest of his cold coffee with a bitter look on his face. "And I don't exactly want to leave this world by way of self-destruction sequence."

"Can androids even die?" She asked curiously.

"You killed Armitage, didn't you? And _he _was an android."

"Fair enough," She nodded. "Anyways, I feel that whatever is going on is… _Connected_ in some way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know…" She scratched her head. "Just a feeling I have… And _speaking _of feelings- you remember that gut feeling I told you I had?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"It's getting worse…"

"Glad I'm not the only one who feels like he's about to spew out his shitty morning cup of coffee." He replied, rolling his stiff neck.

"…Bryan wants in on this." She replied offhandedly, biting her lip as their eyes met.

"Jan, are you _nuts?_ What's gonna happen if the kid is too deep into- into _whatever _this is? He could get hurt, or worse, _killed!_ Besides, what right does he have knowing that I'm an android?_"_

"He _knows_ I'm up to something Harkness, and he _knows_ I have an accomplice." Janny glanced up at him. "He's a lot smarter than you make him out to be. Soon enough, he'll put two and two together and figure out that it's _you,_" She pointed at him. "Besides, he doesn't _have _to know that you're an android."

"I guess so… Wait- _me?_ What will make him think it's me?" He scowled.

"I only talk to two people on a regular basis- him, and _you_." She replied with a shrug. "I've told him so before. If he hasn't figured it out yet, he will soon enough."

Harkness grumbled quietly to himself, rubbing his tired eyes with a lackluster hand.

"Do I have a choice?" He asked after a few moments of contemplative silence.

"I'm not exactly sure," She answered with a hint of a smile in her voice. "Think about the benefits of this, Harkness! We'll have someone else on our side- someone who will _believe _us- it won't be just the two of us anymore, and _believe _me, sooner or later we're going to be screwed nine ways till Sunday if it's just the two of us."

He stared at her with wary eyes, finding some truth in her words.

"You know he won't breathe a word of this to anyone. We can trust him."

"No, _you_ can trust him. Me? _No way._" He shook his head.

"You trust _me,_ don't you?" She asked with a small smile, leaning across the table to grab his hand. "Harkness, _please?_ We can trust Bryan- me _and _you. He won't let either of us down."

"You think so?"

Janny nodded certainly. "I _know_ so."

Harkness took a moment to close his eyes, pondering over it to himself in silence. After a few moments of thinking, he sighed, opening one eye to look at her.

"Well, I _suppose_ he's a good kid…"

Her small smile began to grow.

"_But!_" He pointed at her across the table, as if to halt her mini-celebration with his other hand on his knee as he leaned forward. "If he even _thinks_ about double-crossing us, or saying a damn word to _anyone_, I'll gut him myself!"

"You can tell him that yourself."

"Gladly," He replied briskly as he got up from his chair.

"In a few hours, though. I'm sure everyone is still sleeping while we're wide awake, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, talking about murder and androids." She smiled. "Come down to my room during your lunch break, we can greet him into the club together."

"We have a_ club_ now? Like, "Oh hey, welcome to the club! We got a secret handshake!" kind of a club?"

"No, that's too simple." Her smile broadened into a grin. "More like "Oh hey, welcome to the club! We've got jackets and a theme song, and if you learn the group dance, you'll get an honorary members pin!"

Harkness stared at her peculiarly.

"…You're strange."

"Would you have me any other way?"

"No. No- probably not." He shook his head.

"Then stop complaining," She replied with an arrogant smile as she got up with her book in her hands and placed some money on the table, walking with Harkness to the staircase that led up and out to the entrance bridge of Rivet City.

"…I'm not complaining." He shot back once they went up the stairs, ladies first, and she held the door open for the both of them.

"_Sure_ you're not, El Capitano." Janny winked and saluted him playfully. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go get a few more hours of sleep under my belt."

"Sweet dreams," Harkness called as she opened the door to the stairwell.

"_All the sweeter when you're in theeem_," She replied in a joking singsong voice as she closed the door and darted up the stairs, leaving the commander to snort and scoff in stifled laughter as Lana eyed him with a strange look on her face, having seen the _entire _thing from the moment the door opened.

"Did you two _love birds _make up _already?_" She teased with a lighthearted sneer.

Harkness stopped laughing, eyes darting to her sharply.

"Alright, what is everyone on this damn ship saying _now?_"


	16. Love is a Losing Game :: DAY 4

**A/N: HEY GUYS! Just a quick little note for you all-**

**a LOT of stuff is going on right now, so I'm not gonna be around for a few weeks... Sorry e_O And today only Saving Me and A Trial of Risk and Fall will be updated! Another War For Your Textbook won't be updated till I return.**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the two chapters I post today, and I apologize for the inconvienance!**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

**PS: Oh right, if you go to my profile, I have a LOOOONG list of stories I'm planning on posting in the future :D Check it out! Maybe there will be something that YOU'D be interested in reading, huh?**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen: Love is a Losing Game<strong>

_**Day Four**_

"C.J.! Hey, C.J.!"

C.J. fumbled around and looked up to see James barreling past people to get to her down the rickety hallway. They stumbled back as he breezed through, yelling after him to watch where he was going and he gave no reply in return- only staring forward, staring at _her,_ and smiling like an idiot.

She rolled her eyes and went back to walking.

"Hey, C.J.!" He exclaimed when he was finally at her side and they were walking together with his hands folded behind his back. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," She nodded, looking up at every door and doorway they passed by so she could be sure that she wouldn't miss her exit. "What's up?" She finally looked up at him.

Suddenly, he froze, with the big idiotic smile still on his face and his eyes darted around at everything but _her._ A heated redness creeped up his neck and blossomed in his cheeks and he scratched the back of his head, ruffling his dark hair with his long, thick fingers with his other hand still behind his back.

"I- uh… Nice weather today, huh?"

She laughed, finding his sudden awkwardness kind of funny and shrugged. "I _guess_ so. My mom said she overheard Bannon and Rogue talking about a rad storm coming through, though- so they're trying to make sure no one leaves the ship. I don't know if they're going to leave the door open for caravaneers, they didn't last time, and Harkness was mad. He said it was a _terrible_ idea."

"Oh." It seemed like he was feigning interest. "And why's that?" He leaned towards her face, as if she had something interesting in her hands that he wanted to get a better look at.

"Becausethe people that come through Rivet City is like our staple," She shook her head at his stupidity and turned to him. He froze up again, still with that big idiotic smile- now turning into an awkward grin. "Drifters, wastelanders, caravaneers, scavengers… They always bring in things we need. They're good for trade."

"Oh, I see." He glanced away, still smiling and scratched his chin. "Uh, about what I said earlier… Yeah," He turned back to look at her. "There's something I wanna talk to you about."

"Something _other _than the weather?" C.J. giggled.

"Yeah…" James murmured, his hands shifting from behind his back and she craned her head slightly to get a better look at what it was. "Uh- C.J…. I- I really-… _Uh…_"

She shifted from foot to foot, waiting for him to continue (it struck her as odd that he was _stuttering-_ James _never_ stuttered. _Ever)_ when out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She looked to it, finding that she was standing in front of the doorway that was her exit- _the Weatherly Hotel._ And the movement she saw was Bryan wiping down a table and collecting dirty dishes. Her heart leapt up into her throat, lodging there, so the bass drum of it thumped like hot blood in her ears, echoing inside her.

"C.J., I-…" The smile faded from his face, replaced with a serious expression and a desperate twinkle in his eyes. C.J. didn't notice. She was too busy staring at Bryan. "C.J I _really _like yo-"

"I have to go, we can talk later, James." She cut him off, turning to walk away so she couldn't waste time any further. "It can wait, right?"

"Wha-? Oh, ye- yeah…" His head sunk down and he stared at his feet meekly with a miserable smirk on his lips. "Yeah… _Sure…_ I've got another session with Father Clifford and my mom soon, anyways…"

"See you later!" She called dismissively over her shoulder and hurried away into the hotel lobby, walking towards Bryan with a huge grin on her bright red face. She walked unsteadily, as if she couldn't control her knees, and James wondered what the _hell_ was wrong with her.

"Six caps, _wasted…_" He hissed between clenched teeth, with more sadness than malice in his voice, as he pulled out the thing that he had been hiding behind his back all this time. It was a crimson rose- a plastic one, but he was told it was pretty realistic. He had never seen a flower before so he didn't know what they were supposed to look like, but it had big, red petals curled around its budded center, and a long green stem with plastic thorns protruded from the bottom. It was a little dirty when he bought it, but he soaked it in some clean water and abraxo cleaner and it was as good as new.

He bought it because it was pretty, and once he saw the flower from one of the scavengers he bought it because it reminded him of C.J. He was going to keep it for himself, but he instead hatched a plan- he would tell her how he felt about her and then give her the rose.

Of course, what he _didn't _plan on was her walking away with a dreamy look in her eyes, _abandoning _him in the middle of his confession to her. What made it sting more was the fact that she was walking away from _him,_ with that dreamy look in her eyes, towards _Bryan._ It was almost like she was-

A panicked thought struck James.

_No. __**No.**__ She- She __**can't-!**_

But somewhere, deep in his gut, he knew it was true.

With an aching pain in his chest and a long scowl pulling at his lips, scrunching up his narrowed eyes into anger he growled and threw the plastic rose on the floor, trying to keep his eyes from it. He turned and stomped off down the hall, shoulder-shoving anyone who was within a few mere inches of him with his hands thrust deeply into his pockets.

_That little shit __**knows**__ I like her! I bet he was working behind my __**back **__all this time so he could get close to her! That __**fucking little-**_ his mind went into a rage-fueled overdrive that made his blood run hot and he could feel it working from the tips of his toes to his face.

Bryan would _pay_ for betraying him, James decided as a thin smile came to his face.

* * *

><p>Harkness came up the walkway that led through the winding halls of the hotel floor, absentmindedly navigating himself towards Janny's room.<p>

"_Come down to my room during your lunch break, we can greet him into the club together."_

It wasn't his lunch break yet, but he was able to have a moment to himself to slip away and let her know that he would come by later than usual. Harkness _knew_ bringing Bryan into the mix was a terribly bad idea. The kid was bright, he knew it- he applied for some of the security aptitude tests (which were some basic questions about the subject's health, history, reflex, and "what would you do in this situation?" kind of questions) and he passed with flying colors. Hell, he did better than most of the other guards did, as it was mandatory that they take it once a year to make sure everything was sharp, and the guards had been working on the ship for _years _now. Regulation should have been imprinted in their heads by now, yet Bryan had all the information down pat.

Bryan was also level-headed, which was a pro but _also_ a con. It would keep his head cool when it came to drunken brawls and petty confrontations with thieves and the like, but when it came time to the _big _stuff- like slavers or super mutants trying to get onto the ship- where would he get the anger needed to be so violent? He never even heard Bryan _swear _before! Smarts wasn't everything, you also needed to get a little angry sometimes too. But that was about him applying for the security team, which he had been trying _very _hard to do for several years now with no avail. This was about the fact that something was going on, something _big,_ and Janny wanted to drag him into it just because she felt a little guilty about keeping secrets from him.

So what?

The kid didn't have to know _every __**damn **__thing _about her!

_Like the fact that she ran with slavers not too long after her dad died,_ Harkness mused with some amusement in mind. She went down a very long, very _dark _path after her dad passed at the hands of the Enclave. She worked with slavers, raiders, and gave a big "_fuck you!_" to any one she met if they looked at her funny. He recalled the last time he saw her like that, right before the Brotherhood of Steel reclaimed Project Purity- they got into an argument that turned into an all-out _fistfight_. He walked away with a bruised eye and a broken jaw, she walked away with a few broken ribs and a fractured collar bone. After that, he never heard from her again… He watched everyone around him grow up or get old, and he thought that things had gone back to normal. But then she came back… And she was a completely different person- he wasn't just exaggerating. She talked with this sophisticated air about her, like her father did (he remembered the way James spoke _so _well), she held her head high with dignity and pride, and she was smiling again. Before she was all growling, frowning, and swearing like there was no damn tomorrow.

Harkness liked the new Janny. It didn't cause him any problems, but he wondered if she'd relapse again- like when her father died… He thought that if it was so easy for her to turn from the Bleeding Heart Heroine of the Wastes to the Devil's Mistress and back again, he knew that she could easily go back down that path. Maybe even _worse _this time.

He sighed quietly to himself, trying to push the thoughts away as he stopped in front of her door and knocked on it. He was used to her immediately replying _"come on in, Harkness!"_ But she didn't this time. He knocked again. No answer. Again.

_Must not be here…_ He mused, turning to walk back the way he came, again, on autopilot. _Wonder if Wilks knows where she is? If I'm not with her, __**he **__is._

"_I only talk to two people on a regular basis- him, and __**you.**__ I've told him so before. If he hasn't figured it out yet, he will soon enough."_

_Damnit Janny,_ he smoothed his hand over his hair. _What are you __**doing **__to this kid, getting him all tangled up in this? This is __**murder **__we're talking about, and you wanna include him in it?_ He huffed with some annoyance. Sometimes, as smart as Janny was, she just didn't _think._ She _acted._

One of the guards passed by him, waving with a small nod of his head and Harkness reciprocated the gesture when he heard a crunch under his boot. He stopped, back pedaled, and looked down to see the strangest thing.

A rose with a plastic stem and petals, now slightly flattened, on the floor.

_What the-?..._

He picked it up cautiously and examined it, straightening out the petals and the stem and continued to stare at it. It was a pretty bold red color, but he shook his head at it.

"People are _always _leaving their damn garbage in the hallway…" He grumped as he made his way towards the Weatherly Hotel.

* * *

><p>Bryan picked up dirty glasses and dishes from the dining table in the corner of the Weatherly Hotel lobby and balanced them as a short tower in his arm. He took as much as he could without over-encumbering himself and otherwise dropping the porcelain ware on the floor to shatter, gliding towards the back room to place them in the sink before coming back to the table to retrieve more. He made several back and forth trips before the table was clear of any dishes and ran a wet rag over it to remove any crumbs from the breakfast that morning. It wasn't crowded, as usual, because even though some settlers rented out some rooms from the hotel they ate down at Gary's Galley instead.<p>

Bryan told his aunt to lower the prices on certain items, but she wouldn't have any of it. It was expected of her. Not so easily swayed, but if you had a good argument to back you up she'd come around. Apparently _his _reasoning wasn't enough… Again, expected.

"Morning, Bryan!" C.J. exclaimed giddily as she walked into the Weatherly Hotel with a happy kink in her step.

"Oh, hey C.J." He greeted and turned to her, noting that James was absent when he was usually right behind her or somewhere in the vicinity. "Where's James?"

"James? Oh, I think he's with Father Clifford and his mom. Another session, 'ya know… After the incident in the bow with the 'lurks, Harkness demanded that their sessions be bumped up from three times a week to four times a week." She explained with a careless shrug.

"But nothing _happened _down there," He interjected with his brows furrowed together. "We came out unharmed- why is _James _being punished when it's not even his fault? We told Harkness it was _my _idea!"

"Maybe because he doesn't _like_ James…" She murmured thoughtfully. "We both know he thinks I'm a good kid, and you're trying to enlist in the security program so you're probably A-Okay in _his _book."

"Just because he doesn't like James doesn't mean that he can saddle him with another session!" He cried, turning back to the dining table to continue wiping it down. "His mother isn't doing anything to help, either… She's not even _trying._ He wants to try, he-… He just doesn't know how to…"

"What do you mean?" She asked, cocking her head to the side and folded her arms over her chest.

"I-…" Bryan looked up at her and sighed, and in the back of his mind, a past conversation with James settled into his synapses.

"_Bryan, I gotta change."_

"_What do you mean, you gotta change?"_

"_I-… I really like C.J. I mean __**really**__ like her. You think she's gonna wanna date someone who's hated by __**everyone **__on this fucking ship? You think she's gonna wanna be with someone that's only good for lying and stealing? Even __**I **__wouldn't date me!"_

"…_So what are you gonna do?"_

"_I'm gonna change, idiot! For her… I wanna be someone she deserves. I just-… I just don't… I need __**help**__ Bryan. I wanna be good enough!"_

"_James…"_

"_Don't gimmie that look! If you breathe a word of this sappy shit to __**anyone,**__ I'll lop your fucking head off!"_

The conversation had come so suddenly while the two boys were up on the flight deck, chugging down some Nuka-Cola. Well, Bryan was drinking soda, James was drinking from a whiskey bottle he swindled from his mother when she was passed out on her bed one evening. Bryan knew James really liked C.J., but he didn't know that his affections for her went to the extent that he was willing to change _everything _about him for her! He had always been known as Rivet City's "Lost Cause-" always stealing, swearing, getting violent, and not giving a flying giant-rat's ass about anyone but himself.

Well… Anyone but him and C.J.

"You- _what?_" C.J. smiled a little and giggled.

"Look, he just wants to be a better person." He answered quickly.

"A better-… _person?_" Her smile faltered, and she stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Yeah," He shouldered the rag he used to wipe down the table and went to the back room to get the broom. "He wants to change. He doesn't want to do bad things anymore."

High-pitched laughter erupted from the lobby and Bryan came back, finding C.J. to be hunched over and clutching her stomach as she laughed boisterously.

"That- That's _funny!_ You had me going for a second there!" She continued to laugh.

"Wha- What's so _funny?..._" He asked, clutching the handle of his broom tightly, and felt a little offended by her reaction even though she wasn't laughing at _him_. Did she not think he was serious? Did she think that he was _kidding?_

"That's funny!" She cried again and wiped her teary eyes. "James? _Changing?_ Bryan I don't think he's _capable _of changing! He's always been lying, stealing, cursing, hard-headed… What makes you think he's going to change? What makes you think he _wants _to change?"

"_You think she's gonna wanna be with someone that's only good for lying and stealing?"_

Bryan couldn't help but feel his eyes narrow at her to dangerous pinpoints as she continued to laugh, as if the thought of James changing was the funniest thing you ever did hear.

_He's trying to change for __**you-**__ and you're __**laughing **__at him?_ He grimaced and shook his head, biting his tongue to keep from saying anything as he began sweeping the floor. C.J. finally sat down at the table, still hiccupping with small giggles and watched him work.

That was when Harkness walked in, and that was when the trouble began.

* * *

><p>"Oh, hey Harkness!" Bryan called out with a smile, stopping his sweeping to give the commander a proper, but still playful, salute.<p>

C.J. cooed inwardly, sinking her jaw into her palms on the table. Good God, Bryan was so _handsome_ when he saluted like that… She wondered how he'd look in the Rivet City security uniform, and deemed that he'd look _really_ good in it. She knew he'd be on the team one day, or her name wasn't C.J. Young!

_C.J. Wilks…_ She giggled girlishly at the thought, tracing hearts into the dining table's chipping wood with her forefinger. _That's gotta ring to it…_ She smiled broadly.

"Janny? No… I haven't seen her."

Bryan's words cut into her thoughts like jagged glass and the smile disappeared from her face. She snapped her eyes up to the two. Bryan had stopped sweeping and propped his broom against the lobby desk, Harkness stood at his side with a serious look on his face and a-… Was that a plastic _rose _in his hand?

"When was the last time you saw her?" Harkness asked sternly.

"Well, she stopped by the hotel at breakfast for some fruit and a cup of coffee, but I don't know where she went after that." Bryan lifted his head up to the commander, his long hair falling into his eyes. "I think she went to her hotel room."

"No, I checked there." He shook his head.

"Oh…" Bryan shifted his weight uncomfortably from foot to foot, as if he were deeply troubled. C.J.'s eyes narrowed. What was he suddenly so nervous for? "Do you have any idea where she could be?"

"No, I don't."

"How about you go see Dr. Mayfield?"

"Dr. Mayfield?" Harkness lifted a brow.

"Yeah, I-" He seemed to catch himself and cleared his throat awkwardly. "We- Well, I know she likes to hang out in the clinic sometimes… Medical stuff, you know? Thinks it's cool."

"Interesting… Alright, I'll check around there. At ease, Wilks." He saluted Bryan good-naturedly, turning to leave.

C.J. picked her head up out of her hands on the table and stared at Bryan with hard eyes. He was still shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot, and she _still_ wondered why he looked so worried and distracted. He only started doing it when Harkness mentioned that he couldn't find Janny anywhere…

Janny's face turned over in her head. Bronzed and flawless skin, perfect golden curls, big clear blue eyes, straight nose, full lips, a nicely shaped face, her figure was _superb _and curved in all the right places. She looked like she belonged on one of those pin-up posters- the ones the army made with the pretty girls to promote enrollment onto the battlefield.

C.J.'s skin was pale, her hair was thin and hard to manage, her brown eyes were small, she had a snub nose, thin lips, her face was a little round because of her baby fat and her figure was flatter than irradiated Nuka-Cola. She was _nothing _compared to the glorious beauty that Janny was- and it made her…

Sad.

_Don't you like me, Bryan?_

Angry.

_Am I not __**pretty **__enough?_

Insecure.

_Maybe I'm __**not**__ good enough…_

She growled quietly under her breath, burying her head in her hands when Bryan's deep, luscious voice carried itself to her ears- it normally comforted her, but this time, it brought a boiling wave of _fury _and _resentment _crashing into her.

"Janny! There you are! I was worried!"

_Do you __**like **__her, Bryan?_

* * *

><p>"Janny! There you are! I was worried!" Bryan exclaimed with a bright smile.<p>

Janny had appeared in the doorway of the Weatherly Hotel lobby just as Harkness turned away to leave, plastic rose still clutched in his hand. She smiled at him and the commander, giving a small wave as someone followed her into the lobby. A tall man with chocolate brown hair perfectly combed, his arms and chest and legs broad with muscles, and his small eyes were such a dark shade of brown they almost looked _black _stepped up to her side in the lobby. He smiled kindly, showing two straight rows of pearly white teeth and nodded his head. He was wearing a slightly dirtied Pre-War outfit- a plain light blue button-up shirt, dark blue jeans with a tear at one of the knees, and brown leather shoes.

Bryan's eyes widened. He had _never _seen anyone so-… So… Immaculately _clean _and… He didn't know how to describe it. It was strange- _he _was strange- and whoever he was, he was very much out of place in the Wasteland. He looked like he just stepped out of one of those Vault ad's, the ones that had the perfect family in the field above one of the Vault-Tec Vaults. He looked like the man playing football with the little boy.

"Harkness, we need your help." She stepped up to the commander, stopping when she saw the rose in his hand. "What's that?" She pointed at it.

"Something I found in the hallway," He shrugged and held it up to her. Bryan squeezed out another smile, trying not to show the twinge of ache he felt in his chest. "You want it?"

"Why _Harkness,_ if you're infatuated with me, all you have to do is _say _so!" She laughed.

"Oh shut it," He shook his head and smiled, looking to the tall and strangely clean man. "New on the ship?"

He nodded, still smiling. "Yeah, I just got here a few moments ago. _Don't worry-_ Commander Danvers admitted me at the bridge."

"I figured as much… Don't cause any trouble around here, got it?"

"Yes sir," He nodded his head again in understanding.

"So what did you say you needed help with?"

"This is Cameron, he's looking for the flight deck. It's been a while since I've been on the ship, so I can't say I know how to get there…" She scratched the back of her head. "Haven't done much _exploring, _you know."

"The flight deck?" He mused, looking to Cameron and nodded. "I'll take you up there, but I have to ask why. Settlers aren't allowed up there."

"What? Since when?" Janny asked, confused.

"Since Mr. Lopez committed suicide."

"Oh- _Oh my…_" She murmured, putting her hand over her mouth. "But- But I-…"

"Talked to him? I know. _Everyone _knows about your intervention with him up on the flight deck all those years ago… And it worked. Ted Strayer was getting his act together and Lopez was feeling better, but Ted had a slip up with Jet and overdosed. Lopez thought it was his fault for not taking proper care of him and jumped only a few days later."

Janny ran her trembling fingers through her hair and closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"Janny?..." Bryan murmured, stepping up to place a hand on her shoulder. "Are you- are you okay?"

"Ye- Yeah," She nodded and gave him a weak, unconvincing smile. "I'm fine… Just a little shocked, is all… But I should have known. I noticed that I haven't seen either of them around, but I just thought… I just thought that they both left Rivet City, or Mr. Lopez passed away peacefully or _something…_ He was sixty-five when I last saw him, after all."

He smiled at her soothingly. "Janny, don't blame this on yourself. You did your best, and it worked. You _did_ help Mr. Lopez, right? Even if it only worked for a short period of time, you still helped him. You helped Ted, too."

Her smile became genuine and she nodded her head. "Thanks, Bryan…"

"I'm gonna show Cameron to the flight deck- go to your room. My lunch break was pushed back, but I'll be there to talk to you soon," Harkness waved as he left with Cameron down the hallways, leaving Bryan and Janny alone- with C.J. in the corner at the dining table, looking positively grumpy for some reason.

"Oh, that reminds me," Janny looked up at Bryan. "Are you free in about an hour?"

* * *

><p>Harkness navigated his way through the hallways and corridors of Rivet City with Cameron behind him, his boots pounding against the floor in unison with the bulky man's marching behind him.<p>

"So, Cameron- you never answered my question. Why do you need to go to the flight deck?"

"Visiting some family. I was told I could find my brother there."

"Is he a guard?"

"No- public official."

_Didn't know Rogue had a brother… They look nothing alike, though._ Harkness mused, looking back at him over his shoulder. "Got a last name?"

"Scully," He grinned, his muscles flexing under his shirt- but Harkness didn't notice. "Cameron Scully."

"Strange name…" The commander mused aloud.

Cameron shrugged. "I come from a very strange family."

_Ain't **that** the truth..._


	17. You Say You Know Me :: DAY 4

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated ._." I'm slowly going along and updating all of my stories, just so I don't keep you guys dangling in the wind for forever and a day. Not much in this chapter but drama and an introduction into Janny's life during her ten year absence. I hope you guys like it, and I hope it was worth the wait!**

**Also, I recently updated Back in the Black Bayou, so I'd love it if you guys could mosey on down to my profile and check out the new chapter :D I'm asking for reviews because I'd love constructive criticism and feedback on the story overall.**

**Thank you for your time, and again, I aplogize for being so busy!**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen: You Say You Know Me<strong>

_**Day Four**_

Bryan was almost done sweeping the floor of the Weatherly Hotel lobby when he looked up and saw C.J.'s face, her thin lower lip jut out in an angry pout and her arms were folded over her chest. She was slumped back in her chair, too, with her hair dangling in her face to hide her eyes from him. He stopped sweeping, propped the broom up against the lobby desk, and went to her.

"Hey, C.J.?" He leaned over, trying to look at her face but she refused to look back at him. "What's wrong?"

"_Nothing._" She spat acidly, and he flinched away from her with wide eyes and a tight jaw, blinking in confusion. Why was she so sour all of a sudden?

"Uh…" He murmured, unsure of what to say, and reached a hand out to her shoulder. "C.J., if something's wrong, you can tell—"

C.J.'s eyes met his for a moment before she smacked his hand away from her shoulder and stood up, shoving her chair out from behind her.

"_Woah!_" He exclaimed, jumping back so the leg wouldn't trip over his foot and he shot her a half confused, half irritated look. "C.J. why are you _acting_ like this?"

"You like her, _don't you?_" She yelled, stomping her foot down with her hands clutched into fists at her sides.

Bryan froze. "Wha—_What?_"

"_I so __**knew**__ it!_ You like _Janny!_" She. cried, eyes wide and gleaming with tears and she bit down on her bottom lip.

"I didn't _say_ that I liked Janny!" He exclaimed defensively, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "What are you even _talking _about?"

"Whenever she walks in here, I see the way you look at her! You look at her like all those guys look at Trinnie down at the Muddy Rudder!"

"C.J., I don't know _what—_"

"_Admit it!_ She's pretty, she's got a nice body, she's smart and sweet… You—You just wanna—" She stomped her foot down, her face taking on an irritated shade of red before she burst out screaming; "You just wanna _screw _her!"

"_C.J.!_" Bryan cried with wide eyes and his mouth dropped open. C.J. thought that he _wanted_ to sleep with Janny? C.J. thought that he _liked _Janny as more than a friend? The thought horrified Bryan. He didn't think he liked Janny. He had good reason to always be so happy when she was around, as she had protected him and _saved_ him when he was a little boy. He owed her everything, and like hell he was throwing her the googly-eyes like men did to Trinnie! It was simply the fact that not only was C.J. suggesting something like—like wanting to do _that_ with a woman who he owed everything to, but the fact that she was so angered by it bothered him.

"Admit it, you _do! _You _want_ to sleep with her!" She cried.

"I _don't!_" Bryan exclaimed, folding his arms over his chest in finality. "And for your information, I _don't_ look at her like that, C.J.!"

"Yes you _do!_ I see you do it _all_ the freaking _time!_" C.J. yelled back, tears threatening to fall from her eyes and she sniffled violently, stifling a hiccup.

"C.J…." He murmured, his arms loosening from his chest and he stared at her sympathetically. "I—I don't know what I did to upset you so badly… I really don't, because I can tell you I _don't_ like Janny. Wait, I mean—I _do_ like Janny, but I don't like her like _that,_ you see? She—She's just done a lot for me. Yeah, I owe her a lot."

"...You _don't_ like her?" She inquired quietly, but her voice still had a hardened edge to it as she glared at him suspiciously.

"No." He shook his head. "Not like that, anyways… So why are you getting so upset?"

"…Isn't it obvious?" She asked with a hiccup of a sniffle and wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve. Bryan shook his head.

"No, I don't. I don't know _why_ you're getting so bent out of shape over Janny when she is _just—_" Bryan wanted to say "friend," but that didn't seem entirely _right _to him. Janny was very nurturing and protective of him, but mother wasn't the right word, either. Sister, maybe? No, not exactly, but he didn't know if he was any closer to what he was looking for. Maybe another aunt-like figure? Nope… Family? No, she has more value to him than that. He finally sighed, unable to describe to her the relationship he shared with Janny.

"She's just someone who's very special to me." He finally answered, looking away and scratched his chin when he found the word he was looking for and looked back to C.J. "She's my savior."

"Sa- Savior?" She was starting to calm down now, and she didn't seem so angry anymore—but she still seemed suspicious of him. He wasn't giving her any reason to be, and he was still bothered by her outburst. Ever since Janny arrived, she had been acting weird. Like when he was sitting with Janny for dinner, and C.J. stormed off with James. Then Janny asked if she was—…

Bryan's eyes widened in realization.

_No. __**Way.**_

"C.J., do you—… _Are _you—?..." He sputtered out his words unceremoniously before clearing his throat and speaking. "Are you—… _Jealous?_"

C.J. gave him a brief glance, her cheeks blossoming a burning pink when she suddenly stepped forward to close the distance between them. Her hands grabbed his broad shoulders, her weight went into her tip-toes as she leaned up to reach him and her lips were gently pressed to his before his mind could strike a single spark used to stop her. So Bryan stood there, arms crooked up at his sides as if he were afraid that if he touched her he would get burned, and his wide eyes stared back into the barely open slits of her own eyes, gazing back at him through a euphoric haze. She slowly pulled back so she was back on her feet and stared up at him with her hands still on his shoulders, smiling up at him in a daze.

"C.J., I—I don't…" He murmured, his tongue swelling up in his throat and he swallowed it. "I don't _understand…_"

"It's not that hard to understand," She giggled quietly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I _like_ you, silly… I have for a really long time."

This wasn't right! _James_ liked C.J.! Hell, he probably even _loved_ her if he was willing to change who he was for her! If he was willing to give up his life of trouble- of stealing, pickpocketing, lying, cursing, _whatever_, a life he enjoyed very much- to become a changed man that even his own _mother_ wouldn't recognize?... How could she not _see_ what he was willing to do for her? How could she _laugh_ at him for wanting to change? How could she not _see_ that she was his reason to change?

"C.J…." He murmured, continuing to stare down at her in sadness before unlatching her hands from around his neck by her wrists. Her contently dazed mask cracked, and some confusion shone through. "I'm sorry… I don't like you like that."

Her eyes widened in fear, and the tears threatened to come back. "You—I—_what?_"

"I don't like you—I only like you as a friend. Not a _girlfriend._"

"Why—Why not?" She asked, turning angry once again and she yanked her wrists from his grip. "It's because I'm not _Janny!_ Is _that _it?"

"This has nothing to _do_ with Janny!" He cried.

"It has _everything _to do with Janny! Is it because I'm not pretty enough? Or have nice blonde hair? Or is it because I don't have a nice body like _she_ does? _Is that it?_" She went on yelling at him, red in the face with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I don't _like_ you like that because _James_ does, you idiot!" He exclaimed, horrified with himself that he called her something so mean.

C.J. froze in place, all the red color draining from her face to be replaced with ashen white and the tears seemed to stop for a fraction of a second.

"He—… _James?_" She murmured dubiously. "_James_ likes me?"

Bryan nodded quickly. "He does! He has since we were kids and I first came to Rivet City! Heck, C.J., he's probably liked you since _before_ I even came here!"

C.J. backed away, obviously unable to believe what he was telling her and she shook her head from side to side quickly, as if hoping the thought would tumble out and as far as her memory's data bank was concerned, the statement was never even uttered. She ran to the door with tears running down her cheeks.

"_C.J.!_" He cried, running after her to grab her arm, but she slipped from his grip and took off down the hallway.

"_I __**hate**__ you, Bryan!_" She cried over her shoulder as she turned the corner of the hallway and disappeared from his sight, leaving Bryan to stand in the doorway of the Weatherly Hotel awkwardly with a frown on his face and his brows furrowed together. He sighed heavily, brushing his hand over his face and leaned his forehead against the cool metal door frame.

_James is going to __**kill **__**me **__for telling C.J._ He opened his eyes. _But what __**else**__ was I supposed to tell her? That I liked her, when I don't? I couldn't do that to the both of them. It probably would have been better if I just said I didn't like her like that and forced her to leave it at that…_ He looked down the hallway at the corner where she disappeared. _But either way, she'd still hate me._

"_**I **_**hate **_**you, Bryan!**__"_

Bryan sighed again, only closing his eyes for a moment before he heard pounding footsteps quaking through the hallway and he opened his eyes again, watching as two Rivet City settlers—a young man named Esther and his brother, who's name escaped Bryan at the moment, came barreling towards him.

"Esther! What's going on?" Bryan called as the young man ran past him with his brother in tow. He only stopped for a moment to call back over his shoulder.

"To the marketplace! We're trying to find Lana!" Esther's brother had a grave look etched onto his face, as if he had a bad case of rad-poisoning and was about to vomit.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked, nodding to the brother when he finally remembered his name. "Evan?"

Evan hung his head and shook it back and forth in reluctance before jogging down the hall, away from Bryan and Esther.

"Haven't you heard?" Esther asked as he watched his brother leave and turned back to Bryan.

"No, what's going on?"

"A meeting was called by Rogue and Bannon!"

"_So?_ They're on the council, they call meetings all the time."

Esther shook his head. "Not like _this_ one!" He turned to jog away. "They're calling for everyone on the ship to come down to the marketplace! They say that the meeting concerns _everyone_ and we should be alerted!"

"Alerted of _what?"_ Bryan yelled after Esther as his Aunt Vera came out of the back room.

"Bryan, what's all this yelling about?" She asked strictly. "First I hear you and C.J. yelling, now you and _Esther?_ What's going on?" She looked out the doorway as more frantic and terrified settlers ran in the same direction as Esther to get to the marketplace. "Oh my! What's happening?"

"Esther, _what_ are we supposed to know?" Bryan called again over the sound of thundering footfalls against the metal floor. "What is this meeting about?"

"I can't believe you didn't hear Three Dog's announcement on the radio this morning!" Esther called as he was being pushed and shoved by running settlers. "Megaton's been _blown up!_ It happened a few days ago! Three Dog's been saying that Megaton's bomb was turned on by an unknown party!"

Bryan could barely register his aunt gasping in horror behind him, shaking hand clasped to her mouth as she began to cry and every muscle in his body went rigid in disbelief at what he was hearing as Esther ran away.

_Megaton… __**Destroyed?**_ His mind replayed the message over and _over_ again in his mind, turning it over this way and that and still unable to grasp the method, when a final thought dawned on him. _Isn't Janny from Megaton?_

He took off down the hall, streamlining through the crowd in the opposite direction of the settlers to get to Janny's quarters and ignoring his aunt Vera yelling after him that she was going to the marketplace to find out more information about Megaton's destruction. As he turned the corner to the branched off hallway where Janny's room was, he slammed right into one of the security officers, causing both men to stumble back.

"S- Sorry!" Bryan exclaimed after regaining his balance.

"Watch it, Wilks!"

"_Harkness?_"

"The one and only," He nodded his head and let go of a pipe lined up the wall, which he grabbed onto to keep his balance. "What's with all the commotion?"

"You don't _know?_" His eyes widened. "But I—I thought you were on the _council!_"

"I _am_ on the council! Does this seem like council business to you?"

"That's what Esther told me!"

"Esther?" Harkness questioned, and Bryan nodded. "What did he tell you?"

"He told me Bannon and Rogue called a meeting in the marketplace! Council business that they thought the people of Rivet City should know about!"

"What's the basis of the meeting?" The commander asked sternly.

"You should _know!_ You're on council!" Bryan exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Well _damnit_, Wilks! If I knew I wouldn't be asking you now _would_ I?" He yelled back. "I don't know _why_ no one has told me about this sudden "council meeting" with the people, so I'm asking you, now!"

"Megaton!" He threw his hands up into the air. "Megaton's been _blow up!_"

Harkness' mouth dropped open, nostrils flaring and his eyes strained _wide_ open before he began to growl, his expression taking on a mask of pure and utter _rage._

"I fucking _knew it!_" He barked, turning on his heel and made a beeline straight for Janny's room, pounding his fist on her door. "_Open up, Janny! __**Now!**_"

"What are you _doing?_" Bryan cried, running over. "You knew _what?_"

"Go to the marketplace, Wilks." He hissed, continuing to pound on Janny's door. "I'll be there later. _I said open __**up**__ Janny!_" He boomed.

The door suddenly flew open, revealing a frightened Janny.

"I have told you before that my door is always _unlocked _when I am in my room... But it looks like you're early for our get together—what are you yelling for?"

Harkness shoved his way into Janny's room, causing her to become unbalanced and her shoulder slammed into the corner of the doorway with a painful sound.

"_Janny!_" Bryan cried worriedly, stepping into the room with his hands hovering over her arm, unsure of what to do before he glared at the commander. "What did you push her for?"

"_You _had something to do with it, _didn't you Janny?_" Harkness yelled, pointing a sharp finger at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," She answered calmly, rubbing her shoulder with a slight grimace on her face. She nodded to Bryan to notify him that she was alright, but he wasn't looking at her—he was still trying his best to mentally set Harkness aflame for brutally shoving her.

"_Megaton!_ You had something to do with blowing it up, _didn't you?_"

At this, Janny's eyes turned wide and her jaw tightened, plump lips parting slightly. Her shoulders began trembling violently and she forced her head into her shaking hands, small noises emitting from her. Bryan stared at her, completely aghast.

"J- Janny?..." He murmured. No. _No!_ Not his goddess—his goddess didn't destroy a whole _town!_ His goddess didn't kill all those innocent people! His goddess wasn't a horrid person! She _wasn't!_

_But it would make sense, wouldn't it?_ A bitter voice in the back of his head asked.

It would explain why she was gone for ten years—scouring the wasteland, all of her time going into murdering and stealing.

It would explain why she was only back here _now_—not to visit him, but because she had no other place to stay.

It would explain why Three Dog stopped talking about her on the radio after a while… Because she was _evil,_ and because she wasn't the golden-hearted Lone Wanderer that everyone came to love and know about her adventures.

It all made sense… _All of it._

"_How do I know that you're not lying to me again?..." _

"_What is __**that**__ supposed to mean?"_

"_I feel like you don't trust me, Janny. I feel like you __**like **__having secrets and that you __**like**__ lying to people… You said you'd never lie to me!"_

"_I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Bryan… I really am sorry. But the life I live out there- I __**know**__ how savage and brutal people can be… I know that they'd do anything to gain the upper hand. I'm doing this so no one knows who I __**truly**__ am- so that they can't link me back to anyone I care about."_

The lying, the keeping of all these secrets from him—it wasn't to protect him from other _people._ It was supposed to protect _her_ so no one knew how horrible she was! And he played into her trap… And by the looks of it, so did Harkness.

His head kept screaming that it made complete and total _sense,_ but still… There was something wrong, there. Like a snag.

"I _knew_ it… I fucking _knew_ that you would relapse again, _just_ like you did after your father died!" Harkness yelled at her. She didn't even flinch, and continued hiding her face in her hands and slunk up against the wall, curled into herself as he continued to yell. "Who'd you blow up Megaton for? Slavers? Someone else? Maybe for _yourself_ because you've turned into that sadistic _bitch_ that I knew all those years ago?"

Janny said nothing, continuing to hide her face in her hands with small noises continuing to string out of her.

"Janny Brookes, by law of Rivet City you are here by catalogued as _unwelcomed_ and are hereby seen as an enemy to not only to the people of Rivet City but the people of the Wasteland, and I will take it upon myself as commander of security and by my seat in the Rivet City council to arrest you."

Bryan stepped forth, standing between Harkness and Janny like a brick wall and refused to move, his glare still falling upon the commander, who reciprocated one of his own.

"Stand down, Wilks. Or I will be forced to arrest you as well."

"Then go ahead and arrest me! You _don't_ touch Janny!"

"Bry- Bryan!" She exclaimed, picking her head up in disbelief.

"I can do whatever the hell I want! She isn't a raider or some drugged up Wastelander, Wilks—she demolished a whole _town_ of innocent people! She's lucky I didn't gun her down on the spot!"

"How do you _know_ she blew up Megaton?" Bryan yelled back, still unwilling to move. It hurt him to defend her, having himself believe that she was the one who slaughtered Megaton's residents but she was his _goddess,_ but something about it wasn't right. He had to protect her, he _would_ protect her, because he had to find out why.

He had to find out what _else_ she was keeping from him.

"Because you don't know her like _I _do, Wilks, now stand aside!" He yelled.

"And you don't know her like _I _do, either!" He yelled back, when Janny suddenly took a hold of his arm. He snapped his head over his shoulder to look back at her, eyes widening at the tears that streaked down from her blank, red eyes. "J- Janny?..." He murmured questioningly.

"Will you come quietly?" Harkness asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"I _didn't_ destroy Megaton." Janny stated firmly. "And how _dare_ you claim to know me, and then accuse me of murdering a whole town of people. Those people were my _friends!_ They were my _family_ after my father died, for God's sake!"

"_What?_" He inquired with wide eyes, and Bryan stepped to her.

"But you told me you didn't have anyone left! Just me and Harkness!" He cried.

She nodded and turned to him. "I was speaking truthfully… The bomb that Megaton was built around was detonated, killing almost everyone I ever loved and cared about…"

"Wait, so you _knew_ Megaton was destroyed before today?" Bryan asked in horror.

"I did… I was out scavenging at this school away from Megaton when it was destroyed, and the blast knocked me out. When I came to, I ran to the town to find that it was turned into a giant sinkhole of radiation… Only two of my friends survived, but not for long…"

"What do you mean?"

"One of the people who survived was a woman by the name of Moira Brown. An inane scientist and tinker that I worked for not too long after coming out of Vault 101 and we became fast friends... The blast didn't kill her, as the radiation put her through a rapid metamorphosis of a ghoul—when the metamorphosis can take from months up to a couple of years. I led her to Underworld in the D.C. ruins so she would be safe, but… Not too long after taking her there, I left, and a week later I was hearing from Three Dog over the radio that Underworld was raided by slavers for cheap slaves. Moira was killed in the crossfire."

"What about your other friend?"

A broken smile came across Janny's face as slow tears came down her cheeks, trailing to the crest of her thick, trembling lips.

"His name was Charon. He was a ghoul bodyguard I hired out of Underworld, and he was an excellent companion… I left him at home while I was out scavenging because he was wounded and I wanted him to rest. When the bomb went off, all the radiation-… It tu- turned him _feral._" She choked on her words, burying her face into her quivering hands. "Oh _God!_ The _scream_ he made when he ran towards me! The way his nails just _dug_ into my skin, his teeth sunk into my shoulder!... I pushed him off and pinned him down, I held a rock above his head to take him out of his misery and I _swear_ to you he said my name as I swung it down onto his head! _He said my name! He said __**"Janny," **__I __**swear**__ it!"_ She crumpled to her knees, and Bryan's hand darted out to catch her before she could fall to the floor. Harkness stepped over and swept her away from Bryan and into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Jan… I—I should have known better than to think that you were the one who did it…" He whispered to her, and she clung to his chest, sobbing against the breast plate of his armor. "But why didn't you _tell_ me earlier?"

"Because the ones who destroyed Megaton did so to _kill me,_ Harkness! I was afraid to tell anyone because I didn't want anyone getting hurt because of me!" She wailed against his chest. "I shouldn't even _be_ here!... I'm putting you all into danger just by coming here… I need to leave! I have to go, _now!_"

"Woah, woah, _woah—_" He soothed her, grabbing her shoulders to gently push her back and look down into her twisted up face. "You're not going anywhere. Now, _what_ did you say? Who's trying to kill you?"

"Th- The same people that killed my _father,_ Harkness…" She picked her head up, puffy red eyes staring back at the commander with her blonde bangs gliding into her face, like a curtain. "_The __**Enclave…**_"


	18. Not All Of This Is Me :: DAY 4

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been around for a LONG time, but I've paid for it T_T I am currently stricken with illness (and I don't know what the HELL it is, but it's reduced me to a sniveling pile of pain and agony that's pretty much been bed-ridden for almost a week now e_O) and with all this free time on my hands, I've got these chapters for you guys :D**

**I hope you like it, because I think it came out well considering I'm drugged up on, like- three different medications ._. Remember, Nyquil is your friend! :D**

**So enjoy the chapter! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far, and has stayed even longer to see what happens next ^_^ You are all wonderful and fantastic and I don't know where ANY of my stories would be right now without you guys!**

**I'm not dead, but if whatever I've contracted is anything to write home about, I've got a good leg in the grave, guys xD (KIDDING! I'M OKAY! I think... ;_; someone please bring me cookies and chicken soup?)**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen: Not All Of This Is Me<strong>

_**Day Four**_

"_My fellow settlers, I am positive that you have __**all**__ heard the news about Megaton,_" Rogue boomed from his perch at the second floor landing of the marketplace, looking down upon everyone with his hands held high as if he were praising for a miracle. _"But I am afraid that I cannot assure you of what happened exactly."_

"_**Megaton was blown up!**_" Someone screamed from the crowd below.

"_**Three Dog said so! He said it was by some sleazy bastards!**_" Somebody added on.

This seemed to make Rogue chuckle, and he lowered his raised hands to grip the railing in front of him.

"_I am well aware of what __**Three Dog**__ has said, but you cannot believe __**everything**__ that you hear!_"

As the crowd continued yelling back and forth with Rogue, Harkness pushed his way through the sea of people to Bryan and Janny, who stood in the center as the only two people who weren't yelling back at Rogue.

"I spoke with Lana—what Three Dog says is true." He whispered to Janny. "Megaton was turned into a sinkhole, and he claims it was by an unknown party."

"But how does he know that?" Bryan asked, leaning in when someone bumped into his shoulder.

"Three Dog has scouts picking over the Capital Wastes for need-to-know news. That was how he always managed to keep tabs on what I was doing while I was still known as the Lone Wanderer," Janny explained. "To be honest, in all my years I never figured out who his scouts were, but I would put my money on a group Brotherhood of Steel soldiers unless he has his own personal scouts that I never had the pleasure of meeting."

"It still doesn't explain how he knows that it was an unknown party. For all we know, the bomb could have just gone off."

"I don't think so, Harkness." She interjected, looking to him. "When I first came from the Vault, a man named Mr. Burke tried to hire me to detonate the bomb. He gave me a device that would send a sort of pulse to the bomb, thus activating a fusion reaction within that would detonate it."

"It's kinda scary that you know all that…" Bryan admitted meekly.

"I don't—Mr. Burke explained to me how the device worked." She confessed, looking up at him from Harkness. "You see, I never had much skill with explosives. I refused to work for him and destroy Megaton all those years ago, but when the town mayor, Sheriff Simms, asked me to turn off the bomb permanently I was unable to do it. When I brought Sheriff Simms to Mr. Burke to see some justice done, he attempted to kill Sheriff Simms, but I stopped him and he was thrown out of town. Sheriff Simms rewarded me for saving his life with a place to stay, which was ironically what he promised me if I were able to deactivate Megaton's bomb."

"So the bomb can only be detonated with some sort of kick to the ass from a mad Brahmin to get it going?" Harkness asked.

"I believe so, yes."

"So what says that this Burke guy didn't just come back and finish the job?"

Janny looked up at him. "Because about a year after the fact, I went searching for Mr. Burke and found him at Tenpenny Tower where I killed him and his employer as a gift from me for trying to destroy Megaton."

"Sounds like you." He smiled slightly. "Listen, Jan—I'm sorry for thinking you were the one that did it."

"You still don't trust me," She replied curtly.

"It's not that…"

"But you think I'll return to my old ways and wreak havoc on the Wasteland?" She cut him off. "If that isn't distrust, I don't know what is."

"…You're mad at me." He stated.

"I believe we've come to an agreement."

"Damnit, Jan, I didn't mean it!"

"_My fellow settlers, ask yourselves this! What makes Three Dog in the right? How does he know that this, __**unknown party,**__ destroyed Megaton? Even if it were true, what __**reason**__ could this unknown party have for wanting to destroy Megaton in the first place, a town that has done no wrong? What makes you think that the bomb did not just go off by itself? It was bound to __**eventually!**_" Rogue tried reasoning with the crowd, but it was obvious he was fighting a losing battle.

"_**What if it was Raiders?**_" A man yelled.

"_**Raiders? Raiders ain't no smarter than a dog chewin' on its own **_**backside **_**fer **_**ticks!**" Another man yelled. "_**What 'bout Talon Company?**_"

This statement caused an uproar amongst the crowd and Bryan looked up to watch a helpless Rogue squeeze the bridge of his nose with an angry pulse thrumming on the right side of his temple. Bannon stood at his side, looking unsure of how to insert himself into the situation to diffuse it.

"People really aren't letting this go," Bryan called to Janny.

"That just proves who the people of Rivet City put their trust in, Wilks." Harkness piped up, looking up to Rogue as well. "If they place their trust in an obnoxious radio DJ more than the head of council of their city, than Rogue's in deep shit."

"And Rogue seems convinced that the bomb just went off by itself." She stated.

"I can't say for sure if he believes in Three Dog or not, but whatever he believes in, he's doing what he can to calm everyone down." The commander stated.

"How come?" Bryan asked.

"_**What if they come for **_**us**_**, next?**_" A woman cried out from the crowd. "_**What if the Talon Company comes for us next?**_"

"_This __**isn't **__Talon Company!_" Rogue yelled in annoyance, still pinching the bridge of his nose.

"_That's_ why." Harkness spoke. "Because people are going to start freaking out like that and think that we're next on the target list."

"Then we should tell them who it really is!" He exclaimed. "Janny can tell them, right?"

"No," She shook her head and looked up at him. "_Bad_ idea."

"Why? If we tell them, we can start preparing our defenses!"

"_What_ defenses, Wilks? All we got are a few civilians with guns and a good shot!" Harkness scowled.

"Bryan, if we tell people that this is the _Enclave's_ doing, we don't know how they're going to react," She explained. "If we tell them that the Enclave has returned, they're going to go into a panic, and that's unnecessary when they are only going to come looking for me."

"Well I'm not _letting_ them take you!" He yelled.

"Even so, we can't tell _anyone,_ alright?" She pleaded. "_No one_ is to know about this!"

"So now you're asking _me_ to keep secrets, too?" He asked sadly.

"After today, you're going to have a _lot_ more secrets to keep if you decide to listen to them, buddy-boy." Harkness stated.

Bryan looked up at him with wide eyes. "_He's_ the friend you had to talk to about me, isn't he? The one you had to talk to about letting me in on what you know about Seagrave?"

"Yes, he is, and he has agreed to tell you all that we know." Janny nodded, putting a hand on his arm. "But fair warning Bryan, are you willing to hear it? Are you willing to know, and carry that knowledge without the power to tell anyone?"

He nodded as soon as she had asked. "I am."

"And what makes you think we should trust you?" Harkness asked.

"_Harkness,_" Janny growled.

"I just wanna hear the kid's answer," He explained before turning back to Bryan. "So what makes you think we can trust you?"

"Because Janny saved me when I was eight years old from fire ants, and then she saved me from a life of living all alone. I probably would have died if it wasn't for her," He looked to his savior with a small smile. "And I spent the last ten years wondering how I was ever gonna pay her back, if I ever saw her again." Then looked back at Harkness. "I'm hoping this is it."

"Sounds like a good answer to me," Janny spoke smugly.

"Stuff it," The commander rolled his eyes, and looked up at Rogue and Bannon as they tried to tame the crowd so they could continue with the city meeting. "Then let's get out of here, because I wanna know why the Enclave is after you Janny."

"I think you already know why," She spoke as she began pushing her way through the crowd to the very back of the marketplace where the stairwell resided.

"Because of Project Purity, isn't it?" He inquired as he dashed after her with Bryan quickly following.

"You couldn't have guessed any better."

* * *

><p>Bryan sat down at Janny's bedroom desk while Harkness took place on the edge of her bed. Janny closed her bedroom door behind her and made sure it was locked before turning to her friends. A long, reluctant pause followed as the three only stared back at one another.<p>

"…I don't know where to start."

"Anywhere is good," Harkness assured her.

"No, I mean—I mean for Bryan's sake." She explained, looking at the commander. "You know much more than he does. Most of my explaining will need to fill him in on things he doesn't know."

"Then start from the beginning." Bryan offered helpfully.

But Janny laughed, and she shook her head. "I'm sure that with my story, there's a beginning _before_ the beginning."

"Then start from whichever beginning that I need to know first." He stated, leaning forward in his chair. "I'm sure we've got all day if Rogue's keepin' everybody busy in the marketplace downstairs.

"I am sure you're right…" She sighed as she came over and sat on the edge of her desk next to Bryan. "Then I'll start with my parents."

"Your parents?" He questioned with some confusion.

"I said that there was a beginning, _before_ the beginning, didn't I?" She smiled at him before continuing. "My mother and father were brilliant scientists when they were alive, _long_ before I was born. They worked alongside other brilliant scientists as well to bring to the Wasteland a reality that they had only conjured up in their most vivid of dreams—the reality known as Project Purity. Do you know what that is?"

"No…" He shook his head. "But it sounds familiar."

"You may have heard it from Three Dog over the radio not too long after I took you to your Aunt Vera and disappeared again… But Project Purity was a dream my parents had to bring fresh water to everyone in the Wasteland. Settler, civilian, raider, molerat, super mutant—it didn't matter who. It was supposed to be free to any and all… _But of course,_ the Brotherhood of Steel only began regulating it to major towns and cities, like Megaton, Rivet City, Tenpenny Tower, etcetera. But I'm getting off track…"

Janny picked up a book at her side and began flipping through the pages without looking at them; as if she only needed something to occupy her hands while she spoke.

"My mother became pregnant with me while the project was underway—and when she gave birth to me, she died, and her death had taken away my father's will to continue on without her in Project Purity. So he said goodbye to the other scientists, took me away, and walked out on Project Purity… That was when Project Purity died, too. My dad always told me that it felt like everything had died alongside my mother, but he would never forgive himself for leaving Madison."

"Madison?" Bryan asked.

"Oh, yes, that's Dr. Li's first name. She was a scientist alongside my mother and father. But anyway—when my father left Purity, he took me into Vault 101, where I resided until a month or so until after my nineteenth birthday. He had escaped to finish Project Purity, and I had followed him out because at the time I didn't know the reason as to why he left me there. After months of searching, I finally tracked him down and was able to ask him why. That was when we returned to Madison to reinvent Project Purity in my mother's name."

"And you got it working." He concluded.

"Well, yes, we did—but that is not until the _end_ of the story. I don't think we've reached the half-way point!" Janny laughed quietly before continuing. "I helped my father with whatever I could in the Project until the Enclave had somehow caught wind of it and came knocking on our door… They took my father captive, along with another scientist, and demanded that he hand over Project Purity. Instead of giving the code, my father had flooded the control room of Project Purity with radiation… He had sacrificed himself not only so the Enclave couldn't take away my mother's dream, but so I would be able to escape and lead Madison and her team to safety."

Bryan's eyes widened. "That's what you meant by your dad dying from radiation poisoning, and why it happened so suddenly…"

"Indeed," She nodded. "I managed to escape and keep everybody safe, but when the Brotherhood of Steel tried to throw me back onto my feet with little consolation for my father—…" She suddenly went quiet with her hands clasped tightly together in front of her.

"Janny?..." He called for her quietly.

"Jan went down a dark road, kid." Harkness explained, his arms folded over his chest as he turned over his shoulder to face them. "Let's just leave it at that."

"But I—I want to know!" He exclaimed, looking to Janny. "I want to know _everything…_"

"…I worked with Slavers. Slavers, raiders, even did a little work for Talon Company, Bryan." She muttered. "I helped bag up small towns, I enslaved any lone drifters or small groups of wasters that passed by my scope, I collected bounties for Talon and kept the caps to myself."

His eyes widened upon her face, and he slowly rose up from his chair. "You—You _what?_"

"I'm not going to excuse myself for what I did. I am not going to blame it on the death of my father, I am not going to blame it on the fact that I was depressed and needed something to feel… _alive_ again…" She looked up at him shamefully. "Regret is a powerful thing, Bryan. I regret all the terrible things I did in my past, and the consequence of that is not a bounty on my head, or a do-gooder coming to kill me in revenge for his enslaved family, but my consequence is having to live with all the ill that I have done… And having to see all the blood on my hands that no one else will be able to see _but_ me."

"…I thought you were _good,_ Janny." He whispered, backing away from her. "I—I thought you weren't _like_ that! I thought you helped others! Other people like me who _needed_ you!"

"I know, Bryan! I _know!_ If I could do _anything_, anything at _all_ to take back every bad thing that I have done than I _would_ so I wouldn't have to sit here and shamefully bring to light every misdeed I have ever accomplished! I wish I didn't have to sit here and tell you, bit by bit, what an evil person I became! The only comfort I can give you is that I refuse to do any such thing anymore, and that I am _sorry_ Bryan… I am truly, _deeply_ sorry for what I did, and I paid for it in more ways than one."

"…What do you mean?" He asked quietly.

She gestured to the desk chair he had been sitting in. "If you trust me enough to sit down and continue listening, you will know what I mean."

Bryan hesitantly stepped back over and slowly sat down, but made sure to inch his chair a little bit a ways from her. At that moment, he didn't want to be in the same room as her—for everything he knew, or everything that he believed that he _thought_ he knew, rather, lay crumbled to miniscule pieces at his trembling knees. His hands dove into those pieces and he'd rose them to the heavens to scream "_Why?"_ And he knew that Janny, his goddess, would lay floating in the golden clouds, and she would answer back to him; _"because you believed what little you knew about me."_

Truth was, Bryan didn't know _anything_ about Janny back then, and he felt that he knew little about her now, and it was his own fault for constructing a glorified image of her just because she saved him back then when he was a little boy. He held her up on a golden platter without much reason but because she did save him from the brink of death and gave him something beautiful to look at every day that reminded him that he was still alive and it was all because of her, but he didn't quite know or believe that anything she said to him know would resurrect that image he once had of his beautiful goddess.

"During my escapades with the slavers, we had become surrounded by a small group of Brotherhood of Steel soldiers. One of them recognized me, tied me up, and dragged me back to the Citadel—the Brotherhood of Steel's base of operations. They begged for me to come back and help them, because they needed me if they ever wanted to reclaim Project Purity… and I said I would help, because the soldier who helped my father take me to Vault 101 safely had somehow convinced me. Her name was Cross. With her help, I found the last piece that my father needed in order to get Purity working again. Unfortunately, as I was returning with the piece, Cross and I were attacked by the Enclave, and Cross was killed as they took me away because she fought back to save me." A sad smile came to Janny's face. "Almost twenty years later, and that woman was still fighting for me, and for what my father believed in."

"What—... What did the Enclave do to you?" Bryan asked edgily.

"Well, aside from the piece I retrieved for Project Purity to work _and_ Purity itself, they wanted my Pip-Boy."

"Wait, all this is new to me," Harkness stopped her by holding his hand straight up—perpendicular to a stop sign. "How come I never heard of this before?"

"Because the last time we spoke before I returned we had gotten into a fist-fight because I thought you were staring at my chest," She shot back with a slight smirk. "I would apologize for breaking your jaw, but you accused me of destroying an entire town."

"Jan I said I was _sorry!_"

"I'm not mad, okay? If I were in your shoes, I would accuse me, too."

"But they didn't get your Pip-Boy, right?" Bryan asked, trying to get back on track, and he pointed to the wrist-like device on her bedside table. "Or did they take it, but you got it back."

"I never got mine back," She answered as she got up to pick up the device.

"What do you mean you never got it back? Isn't that it?"

"No," She shook her head, and held it up for both men to see. "This was my father's. After my father died, the Enclave took his body and removed his Pip-Boy because they thought it would be useful in some endeavours they had off to the side of their plans to claim Project Purity. I took it back when I was trying to escape their base—I found it in one of their labs. Which leads me to what I never told you either, Harkness, but I should have a long time ago."

"What do you mean?" The commander asked, brows furrowed together in confusion.

"Well… Not _all_ of this," She gestured to herself. "Is actually— well… _**Me.**_"

And with that, Janny put her father's Pip-Boy down and raised her left arm. She grabbed the base of her elbow, twisted it back, then forth, and with a heavy click, her entire arm—from fingertip all the way to elbow—went limp. She easily detached it from the joint of her elbow, as if it were a completely separate piece from the make of her being.

At the sight of Janny taking off her own arm from her body, Bryan went unconscious.


	19. So I Thought :: DAY 4

**A/N: HEY EVERYONE! I was kinda excited for this chapter, so instead of waiting a few more days to post it, I post it NAO. At one o'clock in the friggin' morning DX MEH. (I honestly think that the only reason why I am excited is because of what I plan on happening next... LOL I'm a retard :D)**

**This chapter is mostly about Janny's thoughts on what's been happening, and she doesn't know what to do- stick around and risk the lives of the only two people she has left in this world just to solve the mystery of who killed Seagrave (WHEN SHE ALREADY KNOWS WHO IT IS, BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO NAIL HIS ASS TO A WALL LIKE A THUMBTACK) and help Harkness with Zimmer, or leave, and hopfully lead the Enclave away from Bryan and Harkness.**

**So, enjoy a bit of a more depressing side of Janny, because it felt weird as hell writing her as such! :D and I hope it isn't too craptastic, because I ALSO wrote this while I was sickie.**

**Happy reading, happy writing!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

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><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen: So I Thought<strong>

_**Day Four**_

_There was a long, loud wail of anguish somewhere around Bryan. He sat up in bed, trying to adjust his eyes so that they would take in his surroundings, but it was too dark. He swung his legs over the side and rubbed his eyes, yawning obnoxiously. He heard a faint chitter, coming from outside his room. He slowly rose to his feet and walked cautiously to the open doorway of his room without thinking about it. His hand pressed into the door, and it opened with a slow and agonizing creak that could wake the dead. Another loud and long wail of anguish carried up to him from the stairs. Reluctantly, he made his way down to the very bottom._

"_Dad?" He called out hoarsely. "_**_Dad?_**_"_

_A hand suddenly grabbed his ankle, and he jumped back to stare down at the bloodied, half-eaten face of his father. His wide eyes stared back up at him, the tendons under the flesh of his jaw exposed to the open with the skin picked off and it made him look like he was half smiling. Tattered flesh and muscle dangled from his chin in decorative streamers._

"**_Run, Bryan. _****Run!**_" His father bellowed, before he was dragged back into darkness where more screams and chitters of otherworldly creatures played back to him, and in the dim light, he could see that his father was being torn apart limb by limb by giant monsters._

_Bryan wasted no time in listening to his father's demands. He ran for the door, threw it open, and darted out into the night. His bare feet slapped against the cold pavement as he ran for somewhere—as he ran for _**_anywhere _**_to hide. He pounded on Dr. Lesko's shack door._

"_Dr. Lesko! Dr. Lesko! Somethin's happenin'! I dunno what to do!" He pounded on the door with his fists again. "_**_Dr. Lesko! Please help us! Help _****me!**_"_

_The chittering followed him outside, and when he turned around, there were the giant monsters trailing out of his house while dragging his father's body behind them. He turned and ran—_**_where_** _he ran to, he didn't know. He just ran. He was suddenly out of town, running down the cracked road and when he looked back, there was nothing following him. He suddenly slammed into somebody._

"_Oh my gosh! Are you okay?"_

_Landing flat on his rump, Bryan looked up to see Janny in front of him, slowly kneeling down with a hand outstretched to help him up. Her golden curls caressed her face, flailing eerily as if kept afloat by some unseen force and her eyes were illuminated brighter than any full moon he had ever seen. Her smile warmed the darkness in his soul, and instead of reaching for her hand, he lunged up and embraced her, all the while crying into her chest._

_"Now, now—there's no need to cry…" She soothed him, all the while stroking his hair._

_"Can—Can you protect me?" He hiccupped and she nodded, continuing to stroke his hair._

_"Of course I can protect you… But it comes for a price…"_

_"Pr- Price?" He wheezed, looking up into her smiling face with bleary eyes. "But I—I don't have any money…"_

_"Oh no, money isn't necessary…" Something glinted in the corner of his vision, and when he snapped his eyes to it, it was her right arm raised in the air and her other hand was scratching at her skin—peeling away the layers of her flesh to reveal glinting metal tendons and bones underneath._

_"All I need… Is your **skin…**_"

_Janny cackled as she tackled him to the ground and clawed at his face with her sharp metallic fingers, ripping up any of his skin that she could reach, and as he screamed for her to stop, his tiny body flailing underneath her, he was suddenly being shaken—_

"Bryan! _Bryan!_ Please, wake _up!_"

Bryan snapped his eyes wide open and a scream hitched in his throat when Janny was leaning over him, her face twisted up into an expression of extreme worry. She smiled softly and exhaled a deep breath of relief.

"Are you alright, Bryan?" She asked gently, sitting back in a chair that she had pulled up to the edge of his bed. Or, rather, _her _bed. He was still in her hotel room. "You were really scaring me…"

He forced himself to breathe, to blink and look around the room to make sure he wasn't in Grayditch anymore. He held up his hands to examine them to make sure he wasn't eight years old anymore. He touched his face with trembling fingers to make sure that all his skin was there and wasn't hanging off his face like his father's.

_I was just… **Dreaming.** _He finally realized. _It was just another nightmare about papa… and Janny…_

Bryan turned his eyes to her as she picked up a wash cloth from her bedside table and pressed it against his forehead. It was wet and cool against his searing hot flesh.

"Bryan, are you alright?" Janny asked him again, the smile disappearing from her face and he quickly nodded.

"Ye- Yeah… I'm fine." He croaked, forcing himself to sit up and hold the wash cloth to his forehead.

"You were thrashing in your sleep… Did you have a nightmare?" She asked worriedly.

"…Kinda." He answered her as he used the wet cloth to wipe away the sweat that was rolling from his face.

"…Was it about me?"

Bryan looked up to see the guilt in her eyes as she stared down into her lap, picking at a stray thread poking out from her jean shorts.

"…Sorta…" He replied quietly, leaving the cloth on the back of his neck. "My dad was there, too… I was back in Grayditch, trynna run away from the fire ants when I—when I found you."

"Oh."

"Yeah…"

There was a long pause of silence before Janny pushed her chair out and got up to grab her shoes by the front door, and she hastily put them on.

"Janny?" He began to throw his sheets off from his legs. "Where are you going?"

"To get Harkness," She explained as she pushed her heel into the sole of her shoe. "He said to retrieve him from work whenever you woke up."

"What do you mean?" Bryan inquired, blinking in confusion. "Did I—fall asleep?"

"You passed out when I—..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked back at him, waving her right arm lazily. "My arm."

Janny pulling her arm off from her body leapt back into Bryan's mind like a movie reel, and he felt his stomach lurch up in his gut. He swallowed back the tightening of his throat.

"O- Oh…"

"Yeah." She turned back to the door and sighed. "Harkness told me that getting you involved was a terrible idea… And I knew it was. I always knew it would be if it ever came to the point that I told you everything."

Bryan clenched the bed sheets in his fist as Janny turned around and came back over to sit next to him on her bed. He licked his lips and waited for her to continue.

"I never planned on telling you any of this… But you were so _persistent,_ and it broke my heart to keep secrets from you…" She sighed and shook her head. "I'm not blaming you by any means Bryan, so don't think that I am for even a moment. I just knew that if I ever had to lay my cards out for you, I would have to bare all of myself to you—flaws and all."

"Your… Flaws?" He questioned quietly.

"Yes," She nodded. "Like my past with the slavers, and how I—… How I lost my arm…" She lifted up her right arm and curled her fingers into a fist. "But I didn't expect you to pass out like that when I showed you the part of me that wasn't really _me…_ I guess it was too sudden."

"It'll just—take some time. For me to get used to." He swallowed. "I'll be fine."

"Are you positive?"

He nodded surely. "As I'll ever be."

Janny reached her hand out to pat him on the hand reassuringly, but halfway through she stopped herself and quickly stood up to go to the door.

"I'll be right back with Harkness," She spoke as she opened the door and closed it behind her.

"O- Okay… I'll be here… _Waiting…_" Bryan answered sadly, even long after Janny was gone.

**_Always_**_ waiting for you…_

* * *

><p>Janny weaved herself through the swarms of settlers going back and forth through the hallways of Rivet City as she tried making her way to Harkness in the marketplace. He said he was to be stationed there for the rest of the day, orders from Rogue, so he could do damage control on the frenzied population of Rivet City. Not too long after Bryan had passed out and Harkness helped her move him to her bed so he wasn't on the floor any longer, they had got to talking about her arm.<p>

_"So where'd you get it?"_

_"…I went to the Commonwealth."_

_"You—You **what?**"_

_"I **know** I should have told you Harkness, but I wanted to find the right **time** and **none** of it seemed right!"_

_"But I—I don't understand… When I last saw you, before you went to war with the Enclave to take back Project Purity, you still had your real arm, didn't you?"_

_"No. When I saw you last, my arm was already gone."_

_"So you had already gone to the Commonwealth before the battle?"_

_"No, actually… The Brotherhood of Steel fashioned me a make shift prosthetic out of some scrap parts they had lying around as a sort of "apology." I can't tell you how many initiates I beat with it before I actually put it on."_

_"I think I would have known if it was a prosthetic, Jan."_

_"I know you have excellent memory, Harkness—don't you remember? My arm was all bandaged up, and when you asked me what happened, I—… Uhm…"_

_"Told me to take a long walk off a short pier. Yeah, I remember now… So when did you go to the Commonwealth?"_

_"After Purity was finally activated, and I had helped the Brotherhood of Steel clean up most of the Enclave's operations, Dr. Li told me that she was leaving for the Commonwealth to put her knowledge to better use because she didn't want to work with the Brotherhood of Steel, now that they were in charge of Purity. I remembered that you were from there, and I thought—... I thought that if they could make a robot look human, why can't they make a prosthetic limb that looked human, too?"_

_"And you went with her to get the work done…"_

_"Exactly. I worked as a body guard for her on the way to the Commonwealth, and in return of keeping her safe, she paid for the arm for me."_

_"So you didn't think that **any** time was the **right** time to tell me that you had traveled all the way to the Commonwealth, the place where I was created and use to hunt other androids, to get a new **arm?**"_

_"I **know** I should have told you sooner, but damnit Harkness, I—I just… I couldn't. I didn't know **how.**"_

_"…Jan, there is never a right time or a right place for **anyone** to tell **anybody** something as big as this, and expect them to be okay with it. The time doesn't matter, and it doesn't matter if that person is or isn't ready to hear something like this—all that matters is if **you** are ready to talk."_

_"So—you're not mad?"_

_"I'm not, no. I have no reason to be. Besides, you're kinda like a—like a **half-sister** to me now, or something, I dunno. I guess I'm not mad because now I got somebody who understands what it's sorta like to not be entirely human."_

**_To not be entirely human…_**

Janny rolled the sentence over and over in her mind, as if it were something new and foreign to her. When she first received her new arm, it was hard getting used to it but she somehow managed. The issue that was bigger than managing was that no matter how natural it felt to pick up a coffee cup or hold a pencil or even pull the trigger on her plasma rifle, it still felt that _she_ wasn't the one doing it. It still felt like it was another part of her; a _fake_ part of her doing it all, and it was something she deserved. Because every time she would pick up a coffee cup, or hold a pencil, or pull the trigger on her plasma rifle, it was a small price that went towards a large debt that she owed for all the terrible things she had done. She was a plagued soul, she knew it, and all the misery of her past showed itself in a limb that nobody else but she could see. It was the same as the blood that bathed her hands—it was something that nobody else but she could see, and it wasn't something that she had to _live_ with, it was something that she had to _survive_ with as the regret and the ache of guilt ate away at her from the inside.

The look of horror on Bryan's face when she finally confessed her place amongst the Raiders and Slavers years ago practically tore her heart apart all on its own. She could barely stand looking back into his eyes, and seeing the look of betrayal and confusion begin to blossom as if he didn't know who she was. For a moment, she didn't know who she was, either.

_I have to leave soon._ The thought struck her mind like lightning to a tree. She knew that even though she had promised Bryan two whole weeks of catching up, she would have to cut it short—she would have to leave in the next couple of days, maybe even tomorrow because she _would _leave right now but it was already late into the afternoon, and night wasn't exactly the _ideal_ time to travel out into the Capital Wasteland on her own. She would collect her things tonight, and then set out tomorrow morning before dawn.

_Are you going to leave him without another goodbye, like last time?_ Janny thought bitterly, and inwardly, she winced at herself. _How long are you going to be gone **this **time, if you ever come back at all? Will it be twenty years this time, instead of ten? Will you come back when he finds a nice girl, and has kids of his own, or when he's as old as your own father? **Will you?**_

It was so easy for her to leave last time because she had fooled herself into thinking that because he was only eight years old everything would be wonderful, and you could learn to forget about the bad things. When she was eight, Butch constantly picked on her and pulled God-awful pranks, but she didn't remember every single one of them because it was in the past and they were kids, and Butch was an idiot. She had herself thinking that he would soon forget about her, and the world would keep on turning. But now that she had come back to actually give Bryan a proper goodbye, the words of farewell caught in her throat when she felt that the universe had blindsided her yet again and presented to her not a small child that she thought would have a short-term memory span, but instead a handsome and kind young man that wanted nothing but to please her. How was she to say goodbye to him now, when she knew that it could be the final thing she ever said to him?

She smiled a little. _He has certainly grown… I don't think I've ever met someone as kind as him—or maybe I have, but it was a very long time ago._ This thought made her smile even bigger. _And he certainly has become quite the catch._

Janny made her way into the marketplace and craned her head around for Harkness. She finally found him sitting in front of Seagrave's stall with a crowd of settlers surrounding him, all frantically asking questions at once. She jogged over and stood at the back, standing up on her tiptoes to only see the tops of heads of random settlers, and none of Harkness. The poor thing was getting _swarmed._

"Rogue says this isn't Talon Company, or Raiders, or any other mercenaries or soldiers. So who _is_ it?" One settler asked.

"For the last time, _no one_ activated Megaton's bomb! I have explained to all of you _many_ times that the bomb was bound to go off eventually, and it just so happened to a few days ago. When Megaton built its walls, the settlers knew the danger they faced when they decided to build a community around an active bomb!" Harkness exclaimed.

"But Three Dog said—"

"What makes you think that what Three Dog said is _true?_" He snapped. "The guy spews bullshit about fighting the good fight, but do you think he's ever left his radio station? Do you think the guy has _ever_ even set foot out of his recording studio? He was probably given false information, because some sick _fuck_ out there knows he's going to rile up somebody and he thinks it's damn hilarious!"

Janny began waving her hand in the background, and only some people looked back to see her. That was when Harkness suddenly stood up, seeing her in the back of the crowd and sighed.

"If you excuse me, I apparently now have important business to attend to." He spoke sternly as he pushed his way through the crowd to her.

"How can this business be more important than keeping us _safe?_" C.J.'s mother cried.

"You are _all _safe here, in Rivet City!" He yelled. "There is _no_ one coming here to kill us all! What happened in Megaton was an accident, end of _story._ Nothing like that is going to happen to us, _got it?_ Now if you have any complaints that have absolutely _nothing_ to do with what happened to Megaton, direct them to Commander Danvers until I return and am fully capable of helping you."

Harkness turned on his heel and continued pushing through the crowd to Janny. When he got to her, he hurriedly grabbed her arm and dragged her after him towards the stairwell where he slammed the door behind them and leaned into it, breathing heavily.

"Tough crowd?" She asked with a small smile, and he smiled back at her.

"Wanna take a crack at it?"

"No thanks," She flicked her wrist at him, and walked to the stairs. "Bryan's awake."

"I figured as much if you came to get me." He followed her, taking the stairs two by two to the next floor. "Did you tell him anything?"

"No, I wanted to wait until I got you."

"What are you going to tell him?" He asked curiously.

"There is nothing else that I can tell him."

"Liar—there's a _lot _more there for you to tell him!"

"Harkness," Janny sighed, and she stopped to turn around and look back at him. "He wasn't supposed to know about _any_ of that—he wasn't supposed to know about who I was, or why I am here, he wasn't supposed to know about the **_Enclave—_** _none _of that! But I couldn't stand keeping secrets from him anymore so I cracked and spewed my heart out."

"You make it sound like some cheesy romance…" Harkness snorted, but she wasn't impressed.

"We still haven't gotten to the main attraction in all of this, yet." She snapped, turning back to continue up the stairs.

"You mean Seagrave's murder?" He asked gravely.

"But of course."

* * *

><p>"You're back!" Bryan exclaimed, with mild surprise, as the door came open and the two walked in. He got up from Janny's bed.<p>

"I think the last time I saw someone this excited was when my wife walked out on me," Harkness shot Janny a knowing grin, and she smacked his arm playfully. Bryan watched in confusion.

"That doesn't sound like a good thing…" He muttered as he sat back down.

"It's kind of… An inside joke between Harkness and I," Janny shrugged her shoulders and closed the door behind her. Harkness took place at her desk chair, where Bryan had been sitting previously.

"Are we going to finish talking about—about _you?_" He asked as he awkwardly placed his hands in his lap.

She and Harkness shot each other another glance of knowing looks.

"Janny, I said I wanna know everything!" He cried. "Just 'cause I… Passed out… Doesn't mean that you hafta stop!"

"It _should_ mean that I have to stop, Bryan." She shot back.

"No, it doesn't! It just caught me by surprise, is all!" He stood up. "Please, tell me everything!"

Janny's golden brows furrowed together. "Why are you so insistent on knowing?"

"Because I _wanna_ know who you are!" He cried as he threw his hands up into the air. "I wanna know everything because then I'll know that you _actually_ trust me now!"

Her eyes widened. "Bryan… It's not that I don't trust you—"

"It's the fact that you don't trust everyone else," He replied bitterly. "It's not like I haven't heard _that_ one before…" He looked away, mildly rolling his eyes.

"Don't you _dare_ use that tone with me!" She barked, and he snapped his eyes back in awe.

"I— I'm sorry…" He said quickly. "I didn't mean to upset you… I'm just tired of you treating me like I'm still a kid. I'm not a kid anymore, Janny."

Her eyes softened slowly as Bryan continued.

"I'm enrolling in the security program, and I _know_ I'll get in this time! Whenever I get into trouble, or I do something wrong and I know it's my fault, I _do_ take responsibility for it. I don't run away like a kid would! I'm a man now, Janny," He blushed bright red at saying this. "And it feels like you're the only person who still treats me like I'm still eight years old."

"…I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll tell you everything."

His eyes brightened and he smiled. "You will?"

Janny nodded, and motioned for him to sit on the bed "Of course. Take a seat, and I'll finish my story."

Bryan quickly turned around, sat down, and waited for her to continue.

"Alright, where was I?... Oh, that's right. After getting my father's Pip-Boy, I had the chance to speak with the leader of the Enclave—president John Henry Eden. Or, to be more precise, a super computer."

"Wait—a _super computer_ was leading an army force bigger than what the Wasteland had _ever_ seen since the Great War?" Harkness asked dubiously.

"That's correct," Janny nodded. "He asked me to help him purge the Wasteland of any and all mutations and imperfections in the human race… I refused to help him. I wasn't going to help the man who killed my father. After some small talk, I convinced him to destroy the Enclave base by self-destructing and I escaped. That was when I traveled all the way back to the Citadel to tell them about the death of Cross, and what had happened to me thanks to the Enclave. That's when they gave me a prosthetic arm to work with until they could get me a better one, but I found a pretty good one myself." She waved her right arm around. "I had to go out of state for it, but it was worth it."

"What happened next?" Bryan asked.

"We went to war against the Enclave for Purity. We beat them back and entered the Jefferson Memorial where Project Purity was built, fighting our way against Enclave soldiers to the main control room where I was told that if I didn't activate the purifier, it would self-destruct because it had taken too much damage during the fight. The problem was, whoever entered to activate it wasn't making it out alive. A woman who I fought with against the Enclave—her name was Sarah Lyons—asked me for the code and said that she would do it herself. I shoved her out of the way and went into the control room and locked the door behind me."

"That's suicide, Jan!" Harkness exclaimed.

"Why would you _do_ that?" Bryan asked sadly.

"…Because I was tired of living," She answered impassively, and she leaned into the wall for support before she slid down to land on top of her closed trunk. "Because I was tired of being too afraid to sleep, and when I _did_ manage to sleep all I saw was my father dying in front of me over and _over_ again. When I slept, I dreamt of all the people I killed, and enslaved, and robbed. When I slept, I dreamt of that Enclave scientist sawing my arm off from my body… When I slept, I sometimes heard my mother's voice saying she loved me, and I don't know _how_ I know it's hers, because I never knew my mom and I only heard her voice _once_ on a holotape and I never listened to it ever again. I was tired of taking every day in stride, and just trying to survive but not trying to _live_ because the life I led, I wasn't allowed to live and take everything slowly."

Janny closed her eyes, and laid her head back against the wall.

"And because I didn't want anyone else but _me _ending the dream that my parents began. I didn't want anyone else but _me_ becoming the beginning of the reality my parents only dreamt of. I didn't think anyone deserved it any more but me. So I stepped into the control room because I knew I was the end of a dream and the beginning of a reality, and I was okay with dying if I could leave one small thing behind for everyone to enjoy… I could die knowing that, maybe, that was my chance for redemption… Or so I thought."

"What do you mean, Jan?" Harkness asked.

She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

"Because I'm still here— continuing to survive just to keep on regreting all the things that I had done."


	20. No Reason To Stay :: DAY 5

**IAMATERRIBLEPERSONANDIAMSORRY *shot***

**I KNOW I have been gone for what feels like FOREVER (not just for me but I'm sure for you guys as well), and I was going to let this wait until Saturday but I CAAAAN'T because I've been gone for so long. I'll let you all be on your merry way into reading this chapter as soon as I mention a few things, 'kay? :)**

**1. As some of you may have noticed, if you are an avid reader for most of my stories, I also have a account where I post original work. I have recently posted ("recently" as in about ten minutes ago. No, seriously.) a new story that I hope most of you would take an interest in reading :D My username is "TheFloridaKeyz" and the story is The Silver Book. I would love feedback from anybody! Good or bad, I want it!**

**2. I have another poll going on my profile. It is already posted, and the rules that go along with the poll (along with any explaining you need) will be put in the bio of my profile as well. All you need to do is read the rules and you're good (read them CAREFULLY mind you), and vote in the poll! Simple as that, and I thank any and all of you who vote a head of time for taking the time to help me out. ****Back in the Black Bayou's FINAL chapter is written and it will be posted this Saturday in the later evening/night, which is the reason why this poll was started.**

**3. I hope you enjoy this chapter, because I have SO much planned out for the next several chapters of this story, and I am SUPER excited to be back into writing (fanfiction AND original) after such a long absence! Thank you all for your patience, and I hope you enjoy :)**

**Happy reading, happy writing (once again)!**

**~Konfessionist out!~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty: No Reason To Stay<strong>

_**Day Five**_

Bryan sat behind the front desk of the Weatherly Hotel, staring back at the smudged screen of the Hotel's customer roster terminal, which illuminated a dull and dark green color, and across the glass did his face stretch over it like a mask. He gave a wide-mouthed yawn and rolled his hands into his fist, setting his chin on his knuckles. Business had been slow that morning with no new customers coming in and no old customers leaving either, so he had a lot of time to himself to think—and most of his thoughts were circled around the things he had discovered from Janny. His heroine removing her limp hand from her forearm flashed through his head.

"_Because I'm still here— continuing to survive to keep on regretting all the things that I had done."_

He sighed again and looked up from his screen to watch two Rivet City settlers (Mister Romero and his younger sister Emilie) amble by the door with the elder sibling complaining that he didn't think that he had enough caps to afford lunch for both of them with the younger sibling arguing that her big brother should eat and not her. Their conversation echoed down the hallway long after they passed by the open doorway of the Weatherly Hotel. Bryan removed his knuckles from his chin and rubbed at both of his eyes with the butts of his palms and tried to force an oncoming yawn back down his throat, and his jaw tightened at trying to restrain himself.

"_I didn't want anyone else but me becoming the beginning of the reality my parents only dreamt of. I didn't think anyone deserved it any more but me."_

"Hey, Bryan?" Aunt Vera called from the back room, and as Bryan turned his chin to his shoulder at the sound of his name being called, he heard a loud clatter followed by his aunt yelling out in surprise. He immediately got up and jogged halfway across the lobby to the back supply room where he found his aunt trying to pick up a mop and broom that she had knocked over.

"You need some help?" He asked with a lighthearted smile, but came over and helped her before she could even answer him. They were propped back up against the wall, leaning into a nearby metal shelf.

"Thanks," She clapped her hands together to get rid of the dress. "Do you know where Seagrave's toolbox is?"

"The toolbox?" He questioned, and looked to the metal shelving to find that it wasn't there. "It should be up here…" He got on his tiptoes to look on a higher shelf—his aunt was a bit shorter than him, so he was used to get things for her that were on higher shelves. He turned around and saw it sitting next to the sink, haphazardly covered by what appeared to be a dirty rag thrown on top of it. He pointed to it helpfully, and she turned around to catch it with her eyes and smiled warmly to him.

"What ever would I do without you, Bryan?" She chuckled and ruffled his hair before walking away to pick the rag off of Seagrave's toolbox and tossed it into the sink before opening it up to pull out a long screwdriver with a yellow handle. "So did you ever find out what that key was for?"

"Huh?" His brows furrowed together and he stepped over to her. "What key?"

"The one that was in his toolbox," She looked back to him as she closed up the toolbox. "You asked me for it… Hmn, I think yesterday or the day before. I don't quite remember. You said that you think you might know what it unlocks."

_That's right,_ he vaguely remembered coming to his aunt and asking if he could take the key because he believed that he had found something that it opened. _I forgot to give it to Janny… What did I tell her that it unlocked?_ He wondered, and this was why he was horrible at lying. Whenever he lied, he never remembered what he had said to her (or anybody else that he had lied to, for that matter). He liked to chalk it up to the fact that he disliked lying and rarely ever did so, and because his memory would fail him sometimes.

"I haven't gotten the chance to check out the locker yet," He finally answered her. "I've been busy."

"Oh, I see," She raised an eyebrow at him and her warm smile turned into a smirk. "Bryan Wilks, are you lying to me?"

He froze in place. "Wha- What?"

"You said before that it was a _box_ that you were trying to open. Now it's a locker?"

"I—uh, _well…_"

"I'm only teasing you!" She giggled and ruffled his hair again as she strolled past. "Just let me know if this key of yours works for whatever you're trying to open, because we have to show it to Rogue."

"Huh? Why?" He inquired, following after his aunt into the lobby and closed the supply room door behind him.

"Because whatever you find is not ours." She answered.

"But this key is ours, and if there's something inside this… _box,_ then it's finders keepers, losers weepers, right?" He argued.

His Aunt Vera laughed and shook her head dubiously. "I don't think I've heard you use that since you were a child."

"It's true, though…"

"If Mdison were still here and on the council, then maybe." She answered with a short sigh. "Hell, if _Seagrave_ were still here and on the council, then yes, but he isn't—so whatever we find is considered Rogue's property until he decides what to do with it."

"That's not fair…" He muttered under his breath, and when he looked up at her she was staring down at Seagrave's screwdriver in her hand with her bony fingers wrapped around the yellow handle tightly. She had a glazed over look to her eye, as if she were vaguely there with him and most of herself was somewhere else—somewhere dark, thoughtful, and depressing. Bryan came over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Aunt Vera?"

"Yes, Bryan?" She slowly turned her eyes to him and gave a small and sad smile, and a teary glimmer came to her eyes. Her thin lower lip trembled slightly, and he said nothing as he opened his arms to her and she hugged him tightly, still gripping the screwdriver tightly in her hand. "I sometimes wonder…" She choked.

"Wonder? About what?"

"I sometimes wonder… How things would have been if I said 'yes' to him." She answered.

Bryan knew how much his aunt missed Seagrave. When he was younger, he remembered that before Seagrave had to go to work in the lower levels of the ship, he would come to the hotel for breakfast before everyone else and talk about anything and _everything_ with his aunt. After work he would come back for a late dinner, after everybody else was gone and most likely in bed, and she would heat him up leftovers free of charge. Bryan remembered that several times in a week the kind repairman would take a moment during his meal to stop eating, think for a moment, and then turn to Aunt Vera and asked her to give him a chance. Every time she would laugh it off, give him a warm smile, and ask if he would like a refill on his coffee. Seagrave would never look rejected or hurt, he would take the refill on his coffee, leave for work in the lower levels, and then try again a day or so later. He always wondered why his aunt never said yes, because she had always seemed at her happiest whenever Seagrave walked through that door.

"How come you never said yes?" Bryan asked her curiously. She sighed and pulled back, wiping away the tears from her eyes with a knuckle on her pointer finger and smiled up at him.

"I cared for Seagrave, Bryan—but not in the same way that he cared for me… He was always so _persistent,_ though." She chuckled quietly.

"He must have really liked you, then."

"He did," She nodded in confirmation. "Which is why I regret never giving him a chance."

"Why?"

"Because then I might have given _myself_ the chance to care for him in the same way that he cared for me." Aunt Vera answered quietly with another sigh and scratched the side of her head.

"…Whatever's in that box, I'm not giving to Rogue." Bryan spoke assertively. "If it belonged to Seagrave, he would have wanted you to have it. I _know_ it."

"You're gonna get in trouble," She teased. He grinned and turned to walk back to the desk. "And I thought you said it was a locker?"

He laughed. "We'll just have to wait and find out."

* * *

><p>Janny sat at her desk, legs crossed one over the other and she tied her hair back with a rubber band. It pulled at an uncomfortable tuft of hair under her neck, and she pulled it out slightly so it wouldn't hurt as much. She looked to the Pip-Boy in front of her, her father's Pip-Boy, and opened up the map console as she picked up her pencil and pressed it to the (somewhat) clean page of her notebook. At the very top of the page, she wrote, in clean lettering;<p>

_**Places To Go**_

Then underlined it with a thick stroke. Twice. She moved to the next line and turned back to her Pip-Boy to begin scanning the wider screen for locations that she could go to. Little towns in the middle of nowhere or hidden away someplace were good places to run to, as they were harder to locate, but if the Enclave were to ever find her there they wouldn't have much defenses. If these towns are hard to find, they don't worry about firepower so much as bigger towns or cities do—bigger civilizations equals bigger targets for Raiders and the like. Of course, if she hid away in a big town or city (like she was now, in Rivet City), she would be easier to find but much harder to retrieve. Unfortunately, in Rivet City not only was she easy to find, but she was easy to capture, as well. She looked to the notebook, tapped it with the tip of her pencil in thought, and turned back to her Pip-Boy to better look around.

_What about that Mirelurk village?_ She wondered. She had only visited the town once, and at first the settlers there weren't very friendly—they were quite hostile, actually—but she had managed to get them to warm up to her soon enough when the town was suddenly attacked by a Deathclaw and she took it down.

_**We**__ took it down…_ She remembered sadly and her pencil suddenly dropped from her fingertips onto her notebook and she held her head in her trembling hands with her fingers going through her hair like quivering snakes. She clenched her eyes tightly shut. _Charon was with me, then._

"_Charon! __**Charon!**__" Janny coughed violently and covered over her mouth and nose with her scarf, her goggles pulled down snuggly over her eyes. The green smog was thick and tingled, almost burning, against her skin as glowing particles swarmed through the air over the disturbed dirt and tufts of metal that jut out like sharp and jagged teeth from the mouth of the sinkhole that Megaton now was. She barely thought of popping some Rad-X before crawling down into the pit._

_She looked around, stumbling over slabs of metal that was still warm to the touch before she fell to her knees and sliced her shin. She cried out in pain and turned onto her side to look at it. Nothing too bad—just a flesh wound. She forced herself up to wobbly feet and looked around once again. Pulling down her scarf, she coughed again but forced herself to scream._

"_**CHARON!**__" Loud and long, she forced his name from her throat as if it were an unruly curse._

_Somewhere in the sickening green smog and the warm debris, she heard gurgling—deep and throaty, almost as if someone were drowning, but she heard it. She snapped her head to the noise._

"_**Charon?**__"_

_Janny heard it again—louder this time, almost as if it were struggling or in pain, she scurried towards it. The throaty gurgling turned to scratchy groaning, long and tired, till she finally came to the end of her search. Hoisted like a white flag of surrender were the remains of her home, just where she had remembered it to be, in the same place that she had left it before… whatever __**this**__ was that happened._

"_**Charon? Charon! **__Charon, is that you?" She cried, feeling tears streak from her eyes as she crawled up a dune of debris to hunks of metal piled upon each other, one after the other, to make a little hill. She started pulling out the smaller pieces, cutting up her palms in the process. "Charon, I'm coming! Just hold on!"_

_With a groan of effort and struggle, she finally pushed out of the way a large chunk of metal that sizzled against her fingers. She yanked off her gloves, whimpering under her breath at the leather that began to melt and merge with the fingertips of her right hand—the android hand that was attached to her. She didn't know how to fix and remold melted synthetic skin._

_Another withered and tired groan emerged from the pile of dirt and debris that she crawled to and she hesitantly got to her knees to pick into it with her hands holding herself up over the pocket. It looked like a little nook had been created in the dirt, protecting whoever lay inside. She could barely see who it was, but somebody moved._

"_Ch- Charon?" She murmured, reaching a hand in. "Is that you?"_

_Suddenly, a boney hand lurched out with a feral growl and latched onto her wrist, causing her to scream and pull back with her heart racing in her chest and her eyes went wide in horror. She saw every throbbing blood vessel on the hand lace through sinews, muscles twisting and contorting on brittle bone, crooked and sharp fingers digging into her flesh. She screamed again and pulled back, tumbling down the hill back into the sinkhole of Megaton to hit her shoulder against the destroyed remains of the Brass Lantern's neon sign, her assault rifle clattering in the dirt at her side. A sharp edge of the broken sign sliced across her bicep and she cried out, squeezing her fingers around it to apply pressure. When she looked up, a withered figure, tall and emaciated, crawled out of the pocket. A hand arched out, pawing at the dirt in front of it to help pull itself out. Another hand arched out, scratching at the air for assistance before a monstrous face—with harsh angles revealing yellowed teeth and waxy gums, bulbous and milky eyes that protruded from its eye sockets and ragged patches of thinning and leatherty skin barely covering the muscles that were stretched taut over its seemingly deformed skull—emerged from out of the debris she had cleared away. Red tufts of hair on the crown of its skull blew gently with the wind and it cracked its jaw open, emitting an animalistic croak that had its fat, slimy tongue squirming out of its mouth like a black worm. It began to crawl out of the hole and down the hillside towards her at an unhurried pace before forcing itself to its feet on skeletal legs and howled at the diseased sky in anguish, throwing its shoulders back and heaving its chest as it did so._

_Janny sobbed in horror, gripping her scarf to her mouth and nose at the familiar leather armor that hung from the withered form of her best friend, oldest companion and bodyguard—Charon._

"_Ch- Charon?" She hiccupped, forcing herself to sit up but she only fell back and hit the back of her head on the Brass Lantern's neon sign again. The noise caught the feral ghoul's attention and he looked over with a hiss forming from his pulsating throat. He shrieked and lunged at her._

_Janny screamed and shoved her forearm against his throat, trying to force him off but even in his wasted state he was still too much for her. Her braced arm buckled and he collapsed on top of her, grabbing the sides of her head into his cold and skeletal hands before his head bowed down, and she felt blunt teeth—hungry and gnawing and strong—bite into the crook of her neck and shoulder and she felt her skin and flesh being torn away from her body. She screamed loudly at the flesh that hung from between his grazing jaws, and she kneed him in the side to have him roll off of her. He growled in surprise, and the hunk of her flesh that was between his bloodied teeth fell out with a _plop_ in the radioactive dirt. She quickly scrambled up and clawed her way up the side of the sinkhole to flat land, not even thinking about retrieving her forgotten weapon and rolled away to collide into a boulder. Charon came up over the ridge after her, barely getting to his feet from his hands and knees to run at her. He tripped and fell face first into the ground, clapping up dirt in a thick cloud. She had to force herself to act quickly._

_Getting to her hands and knees and forcing herself to her feet, she turned to run but stopped when she heard feral Charon gargle behind her. She her foot hitched in the dirt, and she stopped to look back at her friend, wriggling in the dirt, completely unsure of how to get up with his boney limbs flailing about. Looking down by her foot, Janny found a boulder that was about the size of a football, and she knew she had to do something. She couldn't leave her friend like that._

"_**Ferals are a bunch of poor mindless fucks that want to be dead without knowing it,**__" He had told her once when she had refused to kill a pack of feral ghouls that had attacked them in the metro tunnels, as they had been returning from the DC ruins._

_Janny picked up the rock and cautiously made her way back to Charon. He spotted her and tried to crawl through the dirt to grab at her ankle but she stomped down on his hand and kicked him in the chest so he was forced onto his back. He wheezed as she stood over him, falling to her knees with one leg against each of his sides and she held the rock high above her head with her tears trapped behind her goggles and the heat sent a curtain of condensation over the insides of her lenses, and she couldn't see. She felt Charon claw at her shirt, latching onto the thick fabric and for a moment she pretended that it wasn't to pull her down and bite her again—but because he __**needed**_ _her. He __**needed**__ her to do this for him._

_Her nails dug into the sides of the rock, and as she swung it downwards, a gravelly call invaded her ears._

"_**Jann—y?**__"_

_Her eyes went wide at the blood that splashed onto her, following a disgusting sound of crushed bone and squished flesh and the rock rolled out of her hands and fell to the dirt, coating her trembling fingers in red that she couldn't see through her tears. Charon's hands tensed in the fabric of her shirt before gently pulling away and falling to the ground. Janny squeezed her eyes shut and sat back on her heels on her friend's corpse, screaming at the sky in agony._

Loud banging caused her to snap her eyes open. Tears poured down her cheeks, agitating her eyes and she couldn't breathe. She grabbed the towel she had used from her last shower and blew her nose into it, struggling to keep herself from crying any longer. The banging continued and when she looked up, her scattered mind finally realized that someone was knocking on her door.

"Ha- Harkness," She croaked. "My door is open, you know that."

But when no one entered and the knocking had stopped, her brows furrowed together and she realized that it must not have been Harkness. Janny got up from her seat, quickly checking herself in the mirror to make sure that her eyes weren't so red that you could have easily guessed that she had been crying, and turned to the door.

"Who is it?" She asked with her trembling hand on the spinning handle.

And before she could open the door, it burst open and hit her in the shoulder, causing her to stumble back. She cried out in surprise at the hand that was around her neck, and only when she kicked at her assailant during her struggle did she realize that her feet weren't even touching the floor anymore. She choked at the fingers that encased her throat. It was a black man, tall and muscular, with an upraised white scar that started from his jaw, went down his neck, and ended somewhere past the neckline of his shirt. Janny struggled to reach for the combat knife that lay a few inches away from her on top of her desk, for her fingertips barely reached it. A smaller, Caucasian man stepped into the room from behind the black man. She couldn't make out who he was—her vision was a mess of dancing spots and blurry tears. But when the smaller man spoke, she knew _exactly_ who it was.

"My, my, my—out of _all_ the places I dreamed of finding you and wringing that pretty little neck of yours did I _ever_ think that I would end up finding you here!" A scratchy, almost elderly voice called.

"_**Zimmer…**_"

* * *

><p>Harkness ambled down the hallway, the soles of his combat boots resonating thuds of rubber against metal and he rolled his arm with his hand set upon his shoulder, trying to work out the kinks in it. He had been working the nightshift (as always) when a Wastelander picked the lock on the Marketplace and had made her way inside. When he had jumped out and startled her, she claimed that she had only come to find a place to sleep and to find refuge against the cold of the late nightearly morning outside, but you could never be too careful, especially when any Wastelander far and wide knew that Rivet City was inhabited and that there was no need to pick the lock. He immediately escorted her to the detention center of the ship where some of the other officers could keep a close eye on her, and was now on his way to the bridge of the ship to find the security guard (or possibly lack thereof,) that allowed her to sneak by and pick the lock to the Marketplace. Heads were going to roll, _big time,_ especially if Rogue found out. You would have thought that with the threat of Megaton's destruction scaring everybody, the man would take some extra precautions in security so that people could calm the fuck down. But, of course, Rogue was too stubborn to be bothered and he felt that acting like everything was normal and that nothing was going to happen was the _right way_ to do things.

Sure, the settlers of Rivet City were still having their issues with Megaton's destruction (from the commander's understanding, a handful of them actually had family and friends there), but what could they honestly do? Rivet City had no reason to be under siege from the Enclave.

_Except for Janny._ He recalled a bit bitterly. _They might come here for her if they know that she survived, but how could they?_

Harkness thought about it—how could anyone know? How could the Enclave ever find out that she was in Rivet City, alive and well, and not dead like they had wanted?

_If she goes out of her way to make her accomplishments—__**good **__or __**bad—**__known,_ he thought. _Three Dog would probably jump on that bandwagon. If she tries to go head-to-head with them, which I also highly doubt that she would __**ever**__ do, she isn't stupid enough to risk that… What if somebody here recognizes her?_

He bumped shoulders with Mr. Romero as he and his younger sister, Emilie, brushed past him—arguing about who would eat that morning because there wasn't enough money. The middle-aged man apologized, and his young sibling said nothing. Harkness kept walking, entranced within his thoughts.

_Who would recognize her as the Lone Wanderer?_

Very few people knew that she was the good Lone Wanderer turned pillaging Devil's mistress because not only did she visit Rivet City maybe twice or three times at the most (the first time was to look for her father, the second time was when she had found him and brought him to Dr. Li, and the third time was when she was a slaving bitch with a dead father and an itching to turn Enclave armor into scrap metal), but she obviously wouldn't brag about her once promising status _as_ the good Lone Wanderer, so she is automatically set apart from the Lone Wanderer and thought of as a common Wastelander by any others who see her. There is no connection between the Janny everyone knew now and the Janny from before—the good, _and _bad one that always had Three Dog flapping his gums on his radio show long before.

Harkness sighed dubiously. He knew he was putting too much thought into all of this, into everything that Janny had told him, and he felt like he wasn't thinking as clearly as he would have liked. He was looking at all the fine details of it, but it was all the _bad_ ones. He had to look at something positive… Something helpful.

_If she keeps her head down, they'll never know,_ his mind offered him helpfully, and he couldn't help but agree. Besides, what implication did the Enclave have that she could possibly be alive, anyhow? _They will __**never**__ know. _He thought with finality—now all he had to do was talk to Janny.

The commander half-jogged half-walked to Janny's room, to find himself intruding on what appeared to be a shake down.

"My, my, my—out of _all_ the places I dreamed of finding you and wringing that pretty little neck of yours did I _ever_ think that I would end up finding you here!" Zimmer taunted maliciously, hands folded behind his back and his nose was in the air—his wrinkled lips pulled back in a satisfied smirk.

"_**Zimmer…**_" Janny growled, digging her fingers into the clutched hand around her neck of Zimmer's bodyguard—Cadence.

"Zimmer," Harkness barked sternly, and the elderly man simply turned his chin to his shoulder with disinterest. "I ask that you have your bodyguard place Miss Brookes to her feet immediately and I respectfully request that the both of you follow me to the detention center for detainment."

"This insolent bitch owes me an android," He answered calmly. "I will not leave until she tells me where it is!"

"_This_ Brahmin shit again?" Harkness groaned. "Zimmer, we already explained to you that your android is not on this ship, and I believe that the last time you and Miss Brookes encountered each other she had proof that your android was no longer alive."

"Ah, but that is where you are _wrong._" The old man smiled, wagging a boney finger at the commander and he continued to smirk. "I have an _inside connection_ who knows that my android is still here!"

"I see. And who is this inside connection?"

"I don't believe that I should tell you, for you have no need to know."

"Well I have your ass pinned to the wall for breaking into private property, disrupting the peace and attempting murder on an innocent civilian," Harkness hissed with his arms folded over his chest and his irritated expression was bold. "I can have you kicked off the ship. But, if you come down to the detention center and file a report on who this _informant_ of yours is, you have the option of paying a fine or you and your walking brick wall over there can come down to the detention center for a night behind bars. Or we could bring this to Rogue's desk because I'm positive that he's tired of your shit. _**Your choice,**__ Zimmer._"

Zimmer frowned, his wrinkled brows furrowing together. "What is your interest in my connections?"

"If he, or she, is spoon-feeding you ignorant lies and tall-tales about your precious android being on this ship, I would like to find out why because it is causing you and your bodyguard to be_ quite_ the nuisances."

"_Har- __**Harkness…**_" Janny wheezed, clenching her eyes tightly shut and she continued to claw at Cadence's hand. The muscled bodyguard simply continued to stare at her impassively, having not made a sound through the _entire_ conversation.

"Make your decision _now_ Zimmer, or I will make it _for _you if you are so indecisive."

"…Very well. I have no objections—I will come with you peacefully to file the report on my inside connection." The old man answered angrily. "Cadence,"

Cadence immediately dropped Janny to the floor. She tried to land gracefully on her feet but had instead landed on her side with a hard _thud._ She coughed and hacked, rubbing her reddened throat and breathing in heavily as if she had missed the air.

"Follow me, gentlemen." Harkness stepped out of the way and waited for Zimmer and Cadence to vacate the hallway. Once they did, he turned back to Janny's door to see her picking herself up off the floor. "You alright, Jan?"

"Ye- Yeah… Just a little lightheaded." She muttered as she pulled herself up into her chair at her desk.

"I'll tell the kid to come take care of you, and I'll send Dr. Mayfield up to check on you."

"There's no need…"

"Shut up and deal with it. I'll come back to check on you when I'm done with these two." He answered sternly and closed her door.

Janny sat in silence, still trying to regain the ability to breathe and stop her spinning head as tears streaked down her cheeks one after the other—she had to leave, and she had to leave _soon._ Now that Zimmer was (somewhat) taken care of, she had no further reason to stay.

_Other than Bryan..._


End file.
